####@%==:¨                                          ¨:==%@####
#&&§&$/=.¨                                          ¨.=/$&§&&#
#¤&%%^:=.,                                          ,.=:^%%&¤#
£@%$»~.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.~»$%@£
&%†=-¨,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,¨-=†%&
####%†;-,,                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 ¨,~/§$£#@#
@@##***»-, she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ,-»***##@@
#@£*^**~..              throw it away.              ..~**^*£@#
##££**\~~.                                          .~~\**££##
##¶#***»,¨                                          ¨,»***#¶##
@£/,-.¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨.-,/£@
¶*^~~«,.¨,                                          ,¨.,«~~^*¶
##£¤*$^«-.                                          .-«^$*¤£##
#@#§¤=^~.¨                                          ¨.~^=¤§#@#