###@@*;»..                                          ..»;*@@###
##¤¤†=~^.¨                                          ¨.^~=†¤¤##
#@¶@£%^«..                                          ..«^%£@¶@#
@@@$**~...                                          ...~**$@@@
##@&@*\~-¨                                          ¨-~\*@&@##
###$%:=^,,                 statuette                ,,^=:%$###
##£#§$†~~,                                          ,~~†$§#£##
#@#¤%=»:.. $*£*£*%§$$¤*&££$»«»«-~-«¤&¤§**$%&§$%$¤£& ..:»=%¤#@#
##££$†;«,¨                §$@&$$££§                 ¨,«;†$££##
@¶£$$:»-¨¨                                          ¨¨-»:$$£¶@
##¶§$§^~-. forests around my childhood  home. thick .-~^§$§¶##
###§=:«,.¨ 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.              ¨-=†^&&@@#
#@£*§†~,,,                                          ,,,~†§*£@#
#@¶£$†/~:.                                          .:~/†$£¶@#
@#@¤*/»,.¨                                          ¨.,»/*¤@#@
###@@†*«~.                                          .~«*†@@###
@£§£*^«.,,                                          ,,.«^*£§£@
#@@§%*/=-,                                          ,-=/*%§@@#