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