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