##@#$*^-:¨                                          ¨:-^*$#@##
@#=%~¨,...                                          ...,¨~%=#@
###@#$*=~,                                          ,~=*$#@###
##£#£††»-.                                          .-»††£#£##
@$†§%%=»-¨                                          ¨-»=%%§†$@
#§%%»...,,                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, ¨:»;^££@£#
@#£#%$\«^.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .^«\$%#£#@
##£†,,:.¨. freshly made, not yet completely  dried. .¨.:,,†£##
#@$;:~..,.                                          .,..~:;$@#
#@£&@^\«-. my  mom is here now.  i ask her for some .-«\^@&£@#
##¤*«¨¨¨,, particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but ,,¨¨¨«*¤##
@*&;^¨,,.¨ she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ¨.,,¨^;&*@
#%†».,...¨              throw it away.              ¨...,.»†%#
###@§*;--.                                          .--;*§@###
####*$/~^.                                          .^~/$*####
##£££%†-^,                                          ,^-†%£££##
###§%=\»-,                                          ,-»\=%§###
####£%^~^¨                                          ¨^~^%£####
####@%*-,,                                          ,,-*%@####