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