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