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