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