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