#@¶#£%†~..                                          ..~†%£#¶@#
###§%*†=:¨                                          ¨:=†*%§###
#@@£$==«.,                                          ,.«==$£@@#
##¶§*=*=-¨                                          ¨-=*=*§¶##
@@§$\=:.¨,                                          ,¨.:=\$§@@
¤@=\-,~^,.                statuette                 .,^~,-\=@¤
##¶@¤$*«-¨                                          ¨-«*$¤@¶##
#%**:,,,.¨ %@¤%¤$§@*%$§¤§§$~»==-~-~£$$£§§¤*$*£££$£@ ¨.,,,:**%#
&$£^†:,,..                 ££@$*%¤££                ..,,:†^£$&
@@#@%$*»-¨                                          ¨-»*$%@#@@
#@#£@§;~-¨ 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 .,~=*§@£##
§&$*/»-¨.¨ particle  board for  it  to  dry on, but ¨.¨-»/*$&§
##¶§$%†-,, she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ,,-†%$§¶##
###¶§$\~,,              throw it away.              ,,~\$§¶###
##@@§%=»~¨                                          ¨~»=%§@@##
@£§==†,^,.                                          .,^,†==§£@
##£§&=:~-¨                                          ¨-~:=&§£##
£$&%=::~,¨                                          ¨,~::=%&$£
@@¶¤%†;=,¨                                          ¨,=;†%¤¶@@
#@§;=«¨,..                                          ..,¨«=;§@#