#@£=\*-,¨.                                          .¨,-*\=£@#
##£§¤=\~^,                                          ,^~\=¤§£##
##@¤$%/-,¨                                          ¨,-/%$¤@##
££=«,,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,,«=££
@%**»,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,»**%@
##¶@%*/~:.                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 .--/†%&###
##¶§*$;»^. she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to .^»;$*§¶##
#££&$*^-..              throw it away.              ..-^*$&££#
##£***;«,,                                          ,,«;***£##
¶@§=.:¨¨..                                          ..¨¨:.=§@¶
###£§^=»~,                                          ,~»=^§£###
##£@£%\~~.                                          .~~\%£@£##
#@£¤$*/~.¨                                          ¨.~/*$¤£@#
#@£¤@^/«^,                                          ,^«/^@¤£@#