#¶#@*=;~:.                                          .:~;=*@#¶#
@#£††%*-,,                                          ,,-*%††£#@
@@@¤$$=-.¨                                          ¨.-=$$¤@@@
§*^~,..,..                                          ..,..,~^*§
@**=«~,.,¨                                          ¨,.,~«=**@
@#$=*//~-.                 statuette                .-~//*=$#@
&*=:,.¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨.,:=*&
###¶&%%~~. *@£§$$*¤@¤@§$£%¤-«-»«~~~£*@£¤$$$@%&££¤§¤ .~~%%&¶###
###£&§;-^¨                 §££$%¤%££                ¨^-;§&£###
#¤*=~«~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~«~=*¤#
¤*^\:^~~,, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,,~~^:\^*¤
###§$*=»., 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 ,-~†*@¤##@
###§$%*-:. she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to .:-*%$§###
###@$§;=.,              throw it away.              ,.=;§$@###
@&¤;~.^..¨                                          ¨..^.~;¤&@
#@##¤*;~:¨                                          ¨:~;*¤##@#
##@#¤§†»~.                                          .~»†§¤#@##
##£§£%/«-¨                                          ¨-«/%£§£##
&%/=..^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^..=/%&
#@@#$=^=:,                                          ,:=^=$#@@#