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