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