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