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