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