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