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