#@#@$*^~,,                                          ,,~^*$@#@#
@¶£%=*«~¨¨                                          ¨¨~«*=%£¶@
@¤&^\»^.¨,                                          ,¨.^»\^&¤@
##¤¤^*-^..                                          ..^-*^¤¤##
#@#¤$*:«^¨                                          ¨^«:*$¤#@#
#£@$§*«-..                 statuette                ..-«*§$@£#
@&$§\«,.¨.                                          .¨.,«\§$&@
#@¤%†^«... %*%*%@¤$§**%$££@~=~~»~~»¤%§£$&¤¤*$£@£$$* ...«^†%¤@#
###@$**=:.                @*&$*$$%*                 .:=**$@###
##¤**;--¨¨                                          ¨¨--;**¤##
#¤%†;«,.,, forests  around my childhood home. thick ,,.,«;†%¤#
#¶§§%/~^¨¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨¨^~/%§§¶#
###@@*/=,,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,,=/*@@###
##¤£%^-:.. underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ..:-^%£¤##
@¤§%;«~.¨¨ is  dark and  moist,  the  canopy having ¨¨.~«;%§¤@
#¶£$†:=-¨. 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 .¨:«/^£##@
#@##$%†~..              throw it away.              ..~†%$##@#
@@§%%:=:.¨                                          ¨.:=:%%§@@
£&*††»^,¨.                                          .¨,^»††*&£
@@¤@%/~^,.                                          .,^~/%@¤@@
#@£&@*\«:,                                          ,:«\*@&£@#
#¶§£%^=^¨.                                          .¨^=^%£§¶#
@¤$*;~:,,,                                          ,,,:~;*$¤@