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