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