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