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