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