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