##¶@&^;=,¨                                          ¨,=;^&@¶##
#§~--,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,--~§#
###$:==~:¨                                          ¨:~==:$###
##§§@$*~.,                                          ,.~*$@§§##
#^§**~..¨,                                          ,¨..~**§^#
####£**~^,                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. ¨^~*$$#¶##
###¤$†:»~,                                          ,~»:†$¤###
#£%~-,¨.., the soil  is muddy. i slip  when  trying ,..¨,-~%£#
#£$«-..,.¨ to   get  up,   still  looking   at  the ¨.,..-«$£#
@£†*~.,..¨ direction  of sound  rather  than at  my ¨..,.~*†£@
§*/,~,,¨.¨ hands, who are  busy  putting things  in ¨.¨,,~,/*§
#@¶¤£*\=,¨                my pockets.               ¨,=\*£¤¶@#
##@@$†\»~,                                          ,~»\†$@@##
¶$\~»«~.,. then  i   run  east   toward  my   home. .,.~«»~\$¶
#@¶££†/-,,                                          ,,-/†££¶@#
###&@%;»,¨                    †                     ¨,»;%@&###
#@#¤$%/~,¨                                          ¨,~/%$¤#@#
##@#§*/«:. i am not followed, and slow down  in the .:«/*§#@##
#££#¤§*~.. clearing  where you  at first  can  spot ..~*§¤#££#
##£#$%=~~¨ the  house,  not  yet   really   in  the ¨~~=%$#£##
#§*^^^,... backyard.  from my pockets i retrieve my ...,^^^*§#
#&*;/-¨¨,, radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small ,,¨¨-/;*&#
#@#&£==~~. clay figure i've  never  seen before. it .~~==£&#@#
###£%*†~~, must have been laying in the  wet  dirt, ,~~†*%£###
@$%\^†~=~¨ and  i  must've  picked  it up  with  my ¨~=~†^\%$@
¤#†-¨.¨¨,,            other belongings.             ,,¨¨.¨-†#¤
###¤$%\~,,                                          ,,~\%$¤###
##@¤£%/«,. it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked .,«/%£¤@##
¤&^=~:.,.¨ on  her   stomach,   feet  in  the  air, ¨.,.:~=^&¤
#¤*^~-¨¨,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,¨¨-~^*¤#
##*»~~~,-, freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ,-,~~~»*##
@¤£*%^*~^,                                          ,^~*^%*£¤@
#@¶#§^*=~, my mom is  here now. i  ask her for some ,~=*^§#¶@#
@§*^::..¨. particle  board  for it to  dry on,  but .¨..::^*§@
&=%-~.,¨¨. she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to .¨¨,.~-%=&
#@@#@§\».,              throw it away.              ,.»\§@#@@#
#&¤$$*.,~.                                          .~,.*$$¤&#
#@@£&§=~-¨                                          ¨-~=§&£@@#
@#££^/~.,,                                          ,,.~/^££#@
###§$^\-,.                                          .,-\^$§###
##££@%\-:,                                          ,:-\%@££##
#@@§£%/-~.                                          .~-/%£§@@#