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