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