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