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