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