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