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