#@£§$=;~-,                                          ,-~;=$§£@#
###£$%^~:¨                                          ¨:~^%$£###
#@@@*\-.¨.                                          .¨.-\*@@@#
¶&^».,.,.,                                          ,.,.,.»^&¶
¶¤††~,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,~††¤¶
###@$$\~-¨                 statuette                ¨-~\$$@###
#@#&£%*»:¨                                          ¨:»*%£&#@#
##¶§¤^==:, £%£§££¤&£&§§£§$&-~~-=»~-%%%@$$$¤&%*¤%&$& ,:==^¤§¶##
##%$=~~-~¨                 $*%¤*$£§%                ¨~-~~=$%##
#¤&%$††=^,                                          ,^=††$%&¤#
##@§&§=».. forests around  my childhood home. thick ..»=§&§@##
####£*†~,. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and .,~†*£####
@$&£;,.¨¨.      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.              .^=\%%¶###
¤$/«.,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,.«/$¤
@%«=.¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨.=«%@
####*=*~-.                                          .-~*=*####
@%†\=^.,.¨                                          ¨.,.^=\†%@
##££$†=».¨                                          ¨.»=†$££##
@£\/»»,,¨,                                          ,¨,,»»/\£@