@#¶¤%=†~~.                                          .~~†=%¤¶#@
#@¶§%^/»..                                          ..»/^%§¶@#
#*$†-,,,^,                                          ,^,,,-†$*#
###§*%=~^.                                          .^~=%*§###
#@#¤%*^=.,                                          ,.=^*%¤#@#
#@@£$†:~,¨                 statuette                ¨,~:†$£@@#
##%=-¨¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨¨-=%##
#@@§£==«~¨ ££@$£%£$*%§£@%££==~«-=~«&£@$$%¤*@*¤§@§$¤ ¨~«==£§@@#
##@#%*/»~.                $£%£¤£@£%                 .~»/*%#@##
###@$%/=,¨                                          ¨,=/%$@###
#@#**:¨,.. forests around my childhood  home. thick ..,¨:**#@#
¶@£¤£$\»-¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨-»\$£¤£@¶
#££;*=.¨,¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨,¨.=*;££#
###§&**~~, underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ,~~**&§###
###&%†;-:, is  dark and  moist,  the canopy  having ,:-;†%&###
###¤%=*~:, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,:~*=%¤###
¤$†».,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,.»†$¤
@£§&=:*~^¨ there's a  river  passing by,  from east ¨^~*:=&§£@
##¶¤$%;--¨ to  west, getting broader and deeper and ¨--;%$¤¶##
@#†%=»,¨.¨ slower as  it goes. equisetum grow  just ¨.¨,»=%†#@
#@¶§&§†-:¨ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ¨:-†§&§¶@#
##@¤%=:«., through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky ,.«:=%¤@##
#¤%%-«-,,¨                river bed.                ¨,,-«-%%¤#
¶#@§$$:-,¨                                          ¨,-:$$§@#¶
##£@%*/«-.                    =                     .-«/*%@£##
@&§$».:..,                                          ,..:.»$§&@
####%%=«,, the riverbanks  reek  of  magic. tonight ,,«=%%####
##¶&£%*~-. they  had been a swampworld  with sylvan .-~*%£&¶##
@#¶¤£=;~,¨ water,  stone rings  and  floating moss. ¨,~;=£¤¶#@
@#¶¤¤*;»:. you could've  found me wallowing  around .:»;*¤¤¶#@
##@&£§=~-¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨-~=§£&@##
##£¤$*†«:.                 bitten.                  .:«†*$¤£##
###£*^\~~¨                                          ¨~~\^*£###
##@&@§:«:¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨:«:§@&@##
##¶££**»^. ground, in shoulder-high grass, with  an .^»**££¶##
£¤£=;~:~:, orange  tin  radio   and  a  translucent ,:~:~;=£¤£
@#$%;,,..¨      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ¨..,,;%$#@
#¤@£\«-¨..                                          ..¨-«\£@¤#
###&%†;~~¨                     †                    ¨~~;†%&###
¶*%£††:=:¨                                          ¨:=:††£%*¶
#§%\»».¨¨. somethings  moving  in  the grass.  it's .¨¨.»»\%§#
@##§§$/~,¨ invisible  to my eyes  but  i  can  feel ¨,~/$§§##@
#=\«»«-~~¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨~~-«»«\=#
##£§$*=~-.                                          .-~=*$§£##
@£%^«-~~,, the  soil  is muddy. i slip  when trying ,,~~-«^%£@
¶§§*$†*=:. to   get   up,  still  looking   at  the .:=*†$*§§¶
#@@££*\~:. direction of  sound rather  than  at  my .:~\*££@@#
&¤&$--.¨.¨ hands,  who  are busy putting things  in ¨.¨.--$&¤&
###@%=^»:.               my pockets.                .:»^=%@###
#@@£%%^-^.                                          .^-^%%£@@#
#&&$;~..¨, then  i   run  east   toward  my   home. ,¨..~;$&&#
#@£&$*^«~,                                          ,~«^*$&£@#
£$$%*%:~..                    =                     ..~:%*%$$£
@§¤=\\,..¨                                          ¨..,\\=¤§@
@&%*~-.¨,¨ 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.              ,.¨,¨^.^§£
#&*-¨,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,¨-*&#
#£%^/=-..,                                          ,..-=/^%£#
##£§&†:~-¨                                          ¨-~:†&§£##
§&§//»,...                                          ...,»//§&§
#@¶¤&*;«,,                                          ,,«;*&¤¶@#
#@¤/;«-^,,                                          ,,^-«;/¤@#