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