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