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