###¤%†^».¨                                          ¨.»^†%¤###
###£&*/«,.                                          .,«/*&£###
##@#@=/-..                                          ..-/=@#@##
@£§¤§:~.,¨                                          ¨,.~:§¤§£@
##@£$*\~,.                                          .,~\*$£@##
£$†=¨¨...,                 statuette                ,...¨¨=†$£
£@$=*«~-:¨                                          ¨:-~«*=$@£
§&==¨.,... ££&%$%**%§*%§$$%=««~«-=~%&$£&$£*£&¤£*£££ ...,.¨==&§
£¤;*-:,¨¨.                $¤£$¤£§¤&                 .¨¨,:-*;¤£
&#£;..¨..¨                                          ¨..¨..;£#&
@§:~.,...¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨...,.~:§@
##@@&¤=«,¨ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¨,«=¤&@@##
#@&@£††~-¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨-~††£@&@#
&£**=^,,,¨ underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ¨,,,^=**£&
#@@¤$%/»^¨ is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having ¨^»/%$¤@@#
@#@&@*\--. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .--\*@&@#@
@£@£$$^«:,                                          ,:«^$$£@£@
¶£††~=~-:, there's  a  river passing by,  from east ,:-~=~††£¶
£§=%=««.¨. to west,  getting broader and deeper and .¨.««=%=§£
#@¶@§%:=,, slower  as it  goes. equisetum grow just ,,=:%§@¶@#
£§=$†~:¨¨¨ where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let ¨¨¨:~†$=§£
@#&%%^*=,¨ through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky ¨,=*^%%&#@
#£=»-:¨,,.                river bed.                .,,¨:-»=£#
#@¶&$%=-~¨                                          ¨~-=%$&¶@#
##¶¤&*^=:.                     *                    .:=^*&¤¶##
¤*;:=~-,-¨                                          ¨-,-~=:;*¤
@#@#§$\»^, the  riverbanks  reek  of magic. tonight ,^»\$§#@#@
#@##%$^»^. they  had been a  swampworld with sylvan .^»^$%##@#
@=*~»~¨¨¨. water, stone rings  and  floating  moss. .¨¨¨~»~*=@
@¶£¤£%/»,. you could've found me  wallowing  around .,»/%£¤£¶@
§†;»~.¨,,. on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got .,,¨.~»;†§
###§§*/«.¨                  bitten.                 ¨.«/*§§###
&==*%»,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,»%*==&
##£&%=^«,, but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ,,«^=%&£##
#@¶¤§*†=~¨ ground, in shoulder-high  grass, with an ¨~=†*§¤¶@#
#@¤§%%=-~¨ orange  tin   radio  and  a  translucent ¨~-=%%§¤@#
##@#¤**=,¨      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ¨,=**¤#@##
#£@$$^=~-.                                          .-~=^$$@£#
##@¤£$;=~.                     ;                    .~=;$£¤@##
##£§&%:-,,                                          ,,-:%&§£##
@#@&&=†~-¨ somethings  moving  in the  grass.  it's ¨-~†=&&@#@
&£*$%§^~~¨ invisible  to  my eyes  but i  can  feel ¨~~^§%$*£&
@@*†*...¨. through the ground just how large it is. .¨...*†*@@
##¶§%*^«,,                                          ,,«^*%§¶##
@†=..,,.,¨ the soil  is muddy.  i slip  when trying ¨,.,,..=†@
###¶¤$§*=, to  get   up,  still   looking   at  the ,=*§$¤¶###
£%^*†-^¨.¨ direction  of sound  rather than  at  my ¨.¨^-†*^%£
@@%*/~-.,¨ hands, who  are busy  putting things  in ¨,.-~/*%@@
@*†$==~¨¨¨                my pockets.               ¨¨¨~==$†*@
#@£§$$^~:.                                          .:~^$$§£@#
###£$^*«~. then   i  run  east   toward   my  home. .~«*^$£###
###£**†~-.                                          .-~†**£###
#@#¤¤$=«,.                    \                     .,«=$¤¤#@#
@@&%§;;-,.                                          .,-;;§%&@@
#¤*%\~¨¨¨. 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.              ¨,.,=†*£@@
##%»=^¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨^=»%##
¤£§%;=,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,=;%§£¤
£#@†»¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨»†@#£
@#@%*†/«,,                                          ,,«/†*%@#@
##@¶@*=«,.                                          .,«=*@¶@##
####&%%=,,                                          ,,=%%&####