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