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