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