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