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