##@@&*\«-¨                                          ¨-«\*&@@##
##@§%\»,,.                                          .,,»\%§@##
#@@&%$/~-¨                                          ¨-~/$%&@@#
@@££*†~~.¨                                          ¨.~~†*££@@
#@£@@†^~~¨                                          ¨~~^†@@£@#
#@&$**~:,.                statuette                 .,:~**$&@#
#@#§@%†-.,                                          ,.-†%@§#@#
##@§^\~~,. *$%¤@%*§%£%%%&@&=~«~«~»-£%§£@£%$%£§$£%§@ .,~~\^§@##
###@&$*=^¨                %*¤£¤*%@%                 ¨^=*$&@###
@#§%^:~,,.                                          .,,~:^%§#@
###§**/=,¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨,=/**§###
#¶@£^;«~,. pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and .,~«;^£@¶#
#@##@=\=~,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,~=\=@##@#
##@@%*«^,, underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it ,,^«*%@@##
#@£&*$\»-. 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 ,¨:-^*&#¶#
####$%†~-¨              throw it away.              ¨-~†%$####
@@§$§=~:¨¨                                          ¨¨:~=§$§@@
#@@#*%;~:,                                          ,:~;%*#@@#
@@£%$†~~,¨                                          ¨,~~†$%£@@
##@&%§^~..                                          ..~^§%&@##
@#@¤*^=:.¨                                          ¨.:=^*¤@#@
##@¤*=\=^,                                          ,^=\=*¤@##