##@§*%;~,.                                          .,~;%*§@##
@£@£&§==,.                                          .,==§&£@£@
¶%$*=%=~-¨                                          ¨-~=%=*$%¶
##@#¤%:=~,                                          ,~=:%¤#@##
#£%~-¨¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨¨-~%£#
###@$$/~-.                 statuette                .-~/$$@###
###@§*$/-.                                          .-/$*§@###
@@£;;-«.,, %£*%@%§¤@&££@¤$¤~»«==«»«%@£¤%%£%*&¤**$@% ,,.«-;;£@@
##@§£%†~^¨                %§@%&§$$$                 ¨^~†%£§@##
##@#%%^=~,                                          ,~=^%%#@##
##&$%%^»^. forests around my  childhood home. thick .^»^%%$&##
@£@#$^/»,¨ pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ¨,»/^$#@£@
#@¶§@§\»,.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .,»\§@§¶@#
###@@&;«-. underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it .-«;&@@###
##@@&**=-, is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having ,-=**&@@##
@†**-...,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,...-**†@
@@##%^^~,,                                          ,,~^^%##@@
£@@†^«...¨ there's  a river  passing by,  from east ¨...«^†@@£
##£#%%\»,. to west, getting  broader and deeper and .,»\%%#£##
@¤&%£*/»., slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just ,.»/*£%&¤@
@#%«:¨,.¨¨ where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let ¨¨.,¨:«%#@
###§&§\«:¨ through  light, horsemint  on  the rocky ¨:«\§&§###
#@@§§†;~..                river bed.                ..~;†§§@@#
##££$%/~-.                                          .-~/%$££##
@&*~,.¨,.¨                     /                    ¨.,¨.,~*&@
¶$§***:~:¨                                          ¨:~:***§$¶
#@@%\\,,.¨ the  riverbanks reek  of magic.  tonight ¨.,,\\%@@#
#§&@$\,¨,, they had been a swampworld  with  sylvan ,,¨,\$@&§#
£¤%:,¨.¨,. water,  stone  rings  and floating moss. .,¨.¨,:%¤£
¤&&%=~~,¨. you could've  found  me wallowing around .¨,~~=%&&¤
¤@¤@%%†-:. on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got .:-†%%@¤@¤
#£@¤$$:-^,                 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 ¨^~/†%§$$&
##£¤$†;~..              throw it away.              ..~;†$¤£##
##££%%/«:.                                          .:«/%%££##
§@†$*§^~,.                                          .,~^§*$†@§
#£§&£=^»^,                                          ,^»^=£&§£#
###¶£$*:,.                                          .,:*$£¶###
##¶§§*†=,.                                          .,=†*§§¶##
#@¤%^=^-,¨                                          ¨,-^=^%¤@#