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