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