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