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