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