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