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