##@@%†/«~¨                                          ¨~«/†%@@##
@@@¤%*~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~*%¤@@@
£#¤†\»,..,                                          ,..,»\†¤#£
@@&%^*=-..                                          ..-=*^%&@@
##@@%*\-.¨                                          ¨.-\*%@@##
#@£%=/=,.,                 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 ¨,.~~/=$&¶
###**^-,., she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to ,.,-^**###
#@@§%%:»:¨              throw it away.              ¨:»:%%§@@#
#£@%$†»-.¨                                          ¨.-»†$%@£#
##¤*^~^¨.¨                                          ¨.¨^~^*¤##
@#@¤†\-:.,                                          ,.:-\†¤@#@
#@#££††«,.                                          .,«††££#@#
#££*=^~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~^=*££#
¶¤%%†«,..,                                          ,..,«†%%¤¶