##@££^*=:¨                                          ¨:=*^££@##
§^»,,¨,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,¨,,»^§
@#£§£%=~,,                                          ,,~=%£§£#@
¤^=¨,,.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.,,¨=^¤
##@§$=\~-.                                          .-~\=$§@##
###£$%;»:,                statuette                 ,:»;%$£###
#@¶£*$^«-¨                                          ¨-«^$*£¶@#
@@¤£§-~~,, $$%*££%%&££*£@%$~~«~~=»~¤$£¤&@§£$¤£¤£%$¤ ,,~~-§£¤@@
#@#@%^^=-,                £§&¤£&$¤*                 ,-=^^%@#@#
@¤£$/«=«,,                                          ,,«=«/$£¤@
#£;^»»~.¨¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨¨.~»»^;£#
#@@#$*/=~, pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,~=/*$#@@#
@@@@¤§\»~,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,~»\§¤@@@@
@§£&*%=-~, underneath, sniffing at  the ground.  it ,~-=%*&£§@
#£§^=^..¨. is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having .¨..^=^§£#
###£$%:--¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨--:%$£###
#@#§%%\=^,                                          ,^=\%%§#@#
###@@§=†=¨ there's  a river passing  by, from  east ¨=†=§@@###
§@££¤%/«:. to west, getting broader and deeper  and .:«/%¤££@§
##¶#$§†~-. slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just .-~†§$#¶##
###§$$\»,¨ 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.              ,~~=%§@¶##
##¶@¤%;~^.                                          .^~;%¤@¶##
#@#¤¤*=-:,                                          ,:-=*¤¤#@#
##@¶$§^~,¨                                          ¨,~^§$¶@##
#¤%*†=,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,=†*%¤#
#$$%*««,.¨                                          ¨.,««*%$$#
@&@%%»^¨..                                          ..¨^»%%@&@