##%;-,~:,.                                          .,:~,-;%##
##@&£^^»,.                                          .,»^^£&@##
##%†-.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.-†%##
#@#&£=^~,.                                          .,~^=£&#@#
###§£$†«:,                                          ,:«†$£§###
@£££§%\=~¨                 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 ,,~^$§&#@@
#£@£@=*=.. on  her  stomach,   feet   in  the  air, ..=*=@£@£#
¤£†==¨.,.,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,.,.¨==†£¤
§*$%%$*«:. freshly made, not  yet completely dried. .:«*$%%$*§
#£@¤*=;«-¨                                          ¨-«;=*¤@£#
&¤£†%=;»:, my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some ,:»;=%†£¤&
#¶£&£†^~~, particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but ,~~^†£&£¶#
###¶£%†~,¨ she   is  worried  and   wants   me   to ¨,~†%£¶###
@§^~,,.,.,              throw it away.              ,.,.,,~^§@
#@¶¤&^=«.,                                          ,.«=^&¤¶@#
#¤¤†«,,.,,                                          ,,.,,«†¤¤#
##@#**==:,                                          ,:==**#@##
@@£¤†«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«†¤£@@
##@£$%;~~,                                          ,~~;%$£@##
@@$/^^\-..                                          ..-\^^/$@@