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