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