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