##@¤$$/~-.                                          .-~/$$¤@##
##££@$\»,¨                                          ¨,»\$@££##
###¤$=/«^¨                                          ¨^«/=$¤###
#£$%@*†=:,                                          ,:=†*@%$£#
¤$%;-.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.-;%$¤
##@£%†=».¨                statuette                 ¨.»=†%£@##
£#£$\.¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨.\$£#£
##¶@*=/=-¨ $£&$£$%$¤£¤$&%§%«»----~»&&§%£**§%&$§%*§* ¨-=/=*@¶##
@#@£*=†-.,                ¤%%£%¤¤$%                 ,.-†=*£@#@
#$==~:.¨,,                                          ,,¨.:~==$#
¶%%~^¨,¨,. forests around my childhood  home. thick .,¨,¨^~%%¶
##¶¤%^:~:. pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and .:~:^%¤¶##
@£@§%$^~,,      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.              ..~\$§@@##
&£$%§§^»^¨                                          ¨^»^§§%$£&
#@%/=.,¨,.                                          .,¨,.=/%@#
##@#%=\~:.                                          .:~\=%#@##
#@¶¤%**«:,                                          ,:«**%¤¶@#
#@@&%$==-.                                          .-==$%&@@#
##&^-,::.¨                                          ¨.::,-^&##