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