#@%§%-=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=-%§%@#
#@#§@==~..                                          ..~==@§#@#
@§%::¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨::%§@
@=:,¨,..¨,                                          ,¨..,¨,:=@
@@#§&§=-,.                                          .,-=§&§#@@
#$£^-~¨¨,.                statuette                 .,¨¨~-^£$#
#@#&£%=~~,                                          ,~~=%£&#@#
@£%**=*«.¨ $%%£%%$$*@&£££%£~-«~=~=«$&§%&§¤$$£%@¤%@£ ¨.«*=**%£@
&@¤*\~-,¨.                 %§$%&%%£&                .¨,-~\*¤@&
##£@*†:=.,                                          ,.=:†*@£##
@*£^=--,,, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,,,--=^£*@
#£&&%%\=.. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ..=\%%&&£#
@&@&*†:~:,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,:~:†*&@&@
#*†»~:¨¨,, underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ,,¨¨:~»†*#
@#%$^==^.¨ 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 .^-;*§@@##
###£%$/~-,              throw it away.              ,-~/$%£###
@¤&¤†~,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,~†¤&¤@
####&§==,,                                          ,,==§&####
#£$:«=¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨=«:$£#
¶@&§*$^«,.                                          .,«^$*§&@¶
##££&§:~.,                                          ,.~:§&££##
@@¶££*/~,,                                          ,,~/*££¶@@