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