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