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