##@£§*\~,,                                          ,,~\*§£@##
##¶£%*==..                                          ..==*%£¶##
##¶§¤%^-,¨                                          ¨,-^%¤§¶##
#¤%-¨¨,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,¨¨-%¤#
@¤£@%*:»~.                                          .~»:*%@£¤@
@&£/\=,¨¨,                 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 .~»:†$¤@@#
#@£§&*/=,. she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to .,=/*&§£@#
###§*%\«:.              throw it away.              .:«\%*§###
@¤$†,,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,,†$¤@
@#£&*$:».,                                          ,.»:$*&£#@
##¶¤£^:~~.                                          .~~:^£¤¶##
##£§¤^*~:¨                                          ¨:~*^¤§£##
##£¤$%/~,.                                          .,~/%$¤£##
£@¤£$%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%$£¤@£