###@§$:-~,                                          ,~-:$§@###
@#§*»-¨...                                          ...¨-»*§#@
#%†=:¨¨,,,                                          ,,,¨¨:=†%#
@@@&*%=»^¨                                          ¨^»=%*&@@@
§@£¤£%:»,¨                                          ¨,»:%£¤£@§
#£=§\;^¨,.                statuette                 .,¨^;\§=£#
#¤†-»^:^,¨                                          ¨,^:^»-†¤#
#%§^/,,¨,. @*¤*¤**&**$§%£&$~»»«~»~=%$¤&$@£&*$$£§@@$ .,¨,,/^§%#
#@^~^¨.¨¨,                 $@£§@$£$$                ,¨¨.¨^~^@#
@§%~~-~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~-~~%§@
@@£%§%†-,, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,,-†%§%£@@
§%¤^^~,,,¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨,,,~^^¤%§
##@£%%;«,¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨,«;%%£@##
@##£§%†=., underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ,.=†%§£##@
##£££†^--. is dark  and  moist, the  canopy  having .--^†£££##
#¶@§%%=«-. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .-«=%%§@¶#
##%*^~~.-,                                          ,-.~~^*%##
@¤£@&*^-,. there's  a river passing  by,  from east .,-^*&@£¤@
£¤£$†^~.., to  west, getting broader and deeper and ,..~^†$£¤£
####$^=~^. slower as  it goes.  equisetum grow just .^~=^$####
&§¤$~~~,¨¨ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ¨¨,~~~$¤§&
##¶#*^†~,. through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky .,~†^*#¶##
&@$*»=,,,¨                river bed.                ¨,,,=»*$@&
¶¤^†:¨¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨¨:†^¤¶
@#%§;~.:-,                     \                    ,-:.~;§%#@
##£§%†;~,,                                          ,,~;†%§£##
###&£$/»~. the  riverbanks  reek of  magic. tonight .~»/$£&###
##£&£=;~~¨ they had  been  a swampworld with sylvan ¨~~;=£&£##
@@&%§*:.,¨ water,  stone rings  and  floating moss. ¨,.:*§%&@@
#@££$%/».. you could've found me  wallowing  around ..»/%$££@#
¤#§*~,¨,,¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨,,¨,~*§#¤
#£†«»~...¨                 bitten.                  ¨...~»«†£#
#@$^=~¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨~=^$@#
@&%-,--,.¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨.,--,-%&@
#@@#*%^~~. ground, in shoulder-high  grass, with an .~~^%*#@@#
###§$§;~,. orange  tin  radio   and  a  translucent .,~;§$§###
##@#*†==~.      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      .~==†*#@##
@%%«-,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,-«%%@
##@£&%^--¨                    :                     ¨--^%&£@##
###@#&*/«.                                          .«/*&#@###
##£@£†\-,¨ somethings  moving  in  the  grass. it's ¨,-\†£@£##
#¤*=~-...¨ invisible  to  my eyes  but  i can  feel ¨...-~=*¤#
#@£@§†=~-. through the ground just how large it is. .-~=†§@£@#
§$~~:,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,:~~$§
£@#§%$^».¨ the soil is  muddy. i  slip when  trying ¨.»^$%§#@£
###¤¤*/--¨ to   get  up,  still  looking   at   the ¨--/*¤¤###
##£¤£††=:, direction  of  sound  rather than  at my ,:=††£¤£##
#££§*§/«~. hands, who  are busy  putting  things in .~«/§*§££#
##@£=~~¨¨¨                my pockets.               ¨¨¨~~=£@##
##£§»^,.,¨                                          ¨,.,^»§£##
&†*\=»~.,¨ then  i  run   east   toward  my   home. ¨,.~»=\*†&
##¶@$$;~^,                                          ,^~;$$@¶##
###@%$†~,.                     =                    .,~†$%@###
#&@§@^*-^¨                                          ¨^-*^@§@&#
###£$=:«~¨ i am not followed, and slow  down in the ¨~«:=$£###
#@#&¤*\~.. clearing where  you  at  first  can spot ..~\*¤&#@#
£%;=-¨,¨., the   house,  not  yet   really  in  the ,.¨,¨-=;%£
§££¤£^;=:. backyard. from my pockets i retrieve  my .:=;^£¤££§
@¤*~,...,, radio  (now  dented)  but also  a  small ,,...,~*¤@
¶##&¤$\»-, clay  figure i've  never seen before. it ,-»\$¤&##¶
##@¤¤†/~,¨ must  have been  laying in the wet dirt, ¨,~/†¤¤@##
##@#&@$\-¨ and  i  must've  picked  it  up with  my ¨-\$@&#@##
#££$&††»,¨            other belongings.             ¨,»††&$££#
#$§==*.-,¨                                          ¨,-.*==§$#
###@¤%^~,, it's a statuette of a  girl laying naked ,,~^%¤@###
###¶&^=--. on  her   stomach,   feet  in  the  air, .--=^&¶###
¤¤¤†*\\=-,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,-=\\*†¤¤¤
£§$*=:..¨, freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ,¨..:=*$§£
###@£§=~^.                                          .^~=§£@###
#£%*«=^,,. my mom is here  now.  i ask her for some .,,^=«*%£#
@£$/-,,,¨, particle  board  for it  to dry  on, but ,¨,,,-/$£@
##@¤*%;«~, she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ,~«;%*¤@##
#@#¤§^;-~.              throw it away.              .~-;^§¤#@#
####&*:-^¨                                          ¨^-:*&####
##@§%*:»:¨                                          ¨:»:*%§@##
##@#§$^~-.                                          .-~^$§#@##
###*$=*»~¨                                          ¨~»*=$*###
##@#¤%/»,¨                                          ¨,»/%¤#@##
###§@=;--.                                          .--;=@§###