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