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