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