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