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