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