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