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