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