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