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