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