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