##@#%%=-,,                                          ,,-=%%#@##
¶£§=:/;»,¨                                          ¨,»;/:=§£¶
&#@&&§=»^¨                                          ¨^»=§&&@#&
###@¤§†~^,                                          ,^~†§¤@###
@#£=««...¨                                          ¨...««=£#@
&§@$$*\~-.                 statuette                .-~\*$$@§&
¶¤%^«^,.¨.                                          .¨.,^«^%¤¶
##@#%$†=-, £££@$¤$%£&££*%&%=~-=»«~~$*¤%*¤&££$§&$£%& ,-=†$%#@##
###§$§;~.,                 ££%&£*£¤£                ,.~;§$§###
¶@££*%†»:¨                                          ¨:»†%*££@¶
@=§*-,.¨¨, forests around my childhood home.  thick ,¨¨.,-*§=@
##¶#¤$=»,¨ 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 .,¨¨,»~**#
#$†»^¨¨,,.              throw it away.              .,,¨¨^»†$#
#@&£/*~,.¨                                          ¨.,~*/£&@#
@¶¤=«»~¨.,                                          ,.¨~»«=¤¶@
##§=»-~¨,,                                          ,,¨~-»=§##
####£=†-,.                                          .,-†=£####
#@@§£*†=:¨                                          ¨:=†*£§@@#
#@£@£§^~,¨                                          ¨,~^§£@£@#