##*\=~-~,.                                          .,~-~=\*##
#@¶@§§;~-,                                          ,-~;§§@¶@#
###£@%†~-,                                          ,-~†%@£###
##@@£*†=.,                                          ,.=†*£@@##
@£@¤£%*«^¨                                          ¨^«*%£¤@£@
##@§¤§=~~,                 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.              ,¨,¨,~.«†&
#@@#%%:».,                                          ,.»:%%#@@#
@£&%§$=-.¨                                          ¨.-=$§%&£@
####§$^~-,                                          ,-~^$§####
##¶§%§^~-.                                          .-~^§%§¶##
#£$†:,..,.                                          .,..,:†$£#
#@@#£†/~^.                                          .^~/†£#@@#