##@#@$=«-.                                          .-«=$@#@##
##@#&^†--,                                          ,--†^&#@##
#^*~^,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,^~*^#
#@£&&%\~-¨                                          ¨-~\%&&£@#
@##$@$/».¨                                          ¨.»/$@$##@
##£&¤§†«^,                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 ¨:»/§$@@##
#%:~~¨¨¨., she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ,.¨¨¨~~:%#
#¤%=,..,¨,              throw it away.              ,¨,..,=%¤#
##@&£†^-..                                          ..-^†£&@##
¤*^»..¨..¨                                          ¨..¨..»^*¤
££@@$†:«,.                                          .,«:†$@@££
£^\-.,,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,,.-\^£
#&£#**:~^,                                          ,^~:**#£&#
@%;»~,,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,,~»;%@