###&£%†=^,                                          ,^=†%£&###
@£*^;«^~,,                                          ,,~^«;^*£@
¤§@£%=:-,,                                          ,,-:=%£@§¤
###@$^\»:.                                          .:»\^$@###
###@@%^»-.                                          .-»^%@@###
####$%*»-,                 statuette                ,-»*%$####
#£¤%$$;»-¨                                          ¨-»;$$%¤£#
@§¤§*††~^¨ %$%@$$@$¤@%*££$$»~«-»-»»§¤£&¤£%$$&¤£&$¤& ¨^~††*§¤§@
#@¶£*=:~~.                 *$§%&£$&%                .~~:=*£¶@#
#***»^,^,¨                                          ¨,^,^»***#
##@§%%=-^, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,^-=%%§@##
§%:\^,,... pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ...,,^\:%§
###&§*;«..      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ..«;*§&###
#@§»~,.¨¨, underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it ,¨¨.,~»§@#
@#@#£$†~,. 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.              ,,¨..,-†$§
¤$:~..,,¨,                                          ,¨,,..~:$¤
#@#&&*;«^.                                          .^«;*&&#@#
#@££§;«^^¨                                          ¨^^«;§££@#
#%^~,,,..,                                          ,..,,,~^%#
¶¤%§~,~¨.,                                          ,.¨~,~§%¤¶
##@§$^†».¨                                          ¨.»†^$§@##