@###%$:~~,                                          ,~~:$%###@
££#¤§%:=-.                                          .-=:%§¤#££
##@¤*§†~.¨                                          ¨.~†§*¤@##
&§==,¨,..,                                          ,..,¨,==§&
#&£$$†:»-¨                                          ¨-»:†$$£&#
##@¤**/~^,                 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 ¨.=;$$####
##@§&%=-,, hands, who are  busy  putting  things in ,,-=%&§@##
¤@%*=-.,,¨                my pockets.               ¨,,.-=*%@¤
##£#$$^-,.                                          .,-^$$#£##
@#&§@^:»-¨ then  i  run  east   toward   my   home. ¨-»:^@§&#@
@££&:.,,¨.                                          .¨,,.:&££@
##@§$†;~-.                    :                     .-~;†$§@##
¶#¶£¤*:--¨                                          ¨--:*¤£¶#¶
#@¶§$%:~:¨ i am not followed, and slow  down in the ¨:~:%$§¶@#
@¤$*-~¨..¨ clearing where  you at  first  can  spot ¨..¨~-*$¤@
##£¤&*\~,, the   house,  not  yet   really  in  the ,,~\*&¤£##
¤££/«.¨.¨. backyard.  from my pockets i retrieve my .¨.¨.«/££¤
##$*†=,,., radio  (now  dented)  but  also a  small ,.,,=†*$##
@#@£*$^~.¨ clay  figure i've  never seen before. it ¨.~^$*£@#@
###¶#£^=^, must have been laying in  the  wet dirt, ,^=^£#¶###
¶£#@$%*«-¨ and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my ¨-«*%$@#£¶
##@£*$†~^¨             other belongings.            ¨^~†$*£@##
#@@§@§/«:,                                          ,:«/§@§@@#
###¤£§/»~¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ¨~»/§£¤###
@$†;-~-,¨¨ on  her   stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ¨¨,-~-;†$@
###¤$%:-:¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨:-:%$¤###
@¤§=~~=.., freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ,..=~~=§¤@
@##*/~,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,~/*##@
##&*».,,,¨ my mom  is here now. i ask her for  some ¨,,,.»*&##
¶§†~..¨.,¨ particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ¨,.¨..~†§¶
##@§£†/»,¨ she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ¨,»/†£§@##
£¤%-.¨,,.,              throw it away.              ,.,,¨.-%¤£
@#£#%§/~,¨                                          ¨,~/§%#£#@
##@£%*\».¨                                          ¨.»\*%£@##
£&$$§-~,.,                                          ,.,~-§$$&£
#@£¤§%;-,¨                                          ¨,-;%§¤£@#
##£@£$*=-¨                                          ¨-=*$£@£##
£%$^:\~.,.                                          .,.~\:^$%£