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