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