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