####@*;~:.                                          .:~;*@####
#@#@*%^-:.                                          .:-^%*@#@#
###@$%=~^.                                          .^~=%$@###
###&$$\»,¨                                          ¨,»\$$&###
@£&§^«~..,                                          ,..~«^§&£@
##£¤@§*--,                statuette                 ,--*§@¤£##
##$$*-¨..,                                          ,..¨-*$$##
@@@¤&$*=,¨ $$$@@&%§*¤$££¤&$«~~«~~~-%%*¤%%£%****&%%£ ¨,=*$&¤@@@
#@¤/\:^¨¨,                 @£%$£$$%$                ,¨¨^:\/¤@#
&£&&//--,,                                          ,,--//&&£&
@$%*,¨.¨,¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨,¨.¨,*%$@
§¤¤&£%\«^, pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ,^«\%£&¤¤§
@¶%*»^^,,.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .,,^^»*%¶@
##@£%*†«:¨ underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it ¨:«†*%£@##
#@@*=/†»,¨ is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having ¨,»†/=*@@#
@§¤§*=^--¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨--^=*§¤§@
£@%:~.¨,..                                          ..,¨.~:%@£
@%†=¨.,.¨, there's  a  river passing  by, from east ,¨.,.¨=†%@
@@%§§†\-:¨ to west,  getting broader and deeper and ¨:-\†§§%@@
#£§~-¨.,¨, slower as  it goes.  equisetum grow just ,¨,.¨-~§£#
@$§/~¨..,¨ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ¨,..¨~/§$@
@£§/†:,... through  light,  horsemint on  the rocky ...,:†/§£@
#@£^~-:¨¨,                river bed.                ,¨¨:-~^£@#
##¶¤$^/-^,                                          ,^-/^$¤¶##
¶#*$~,,.¨¨                     ;                    ¨¨.,,~$*#¶
##£&£*=«:.                                          .:«=*£&£##
@**=~..¨.¨ the riverbanks reek  of  magic.  tonight ¨.¨..~=**@
#*:;†=¨¨,¨ they had  been a  swampworld with sylvan ¨,¨¨=†;:*#
@¤£^\,:,.. water, stone  rings  and  floating moss. ..,:,\^£¤@
£¤@£$%/-^. you could've  found me  wallowing around .^-/%$£@¤£
###@$^*»^¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨^»*^$@###
@§†\=,,,..                 bitten.                  ..,,,=\†§@
##@@$$:=^.                                          .^=:$$@@##
#&¤&£†:«^. 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.              ,,..^††$£#
¶§£$$:,.¨,                                          ,¨.,:$$£§¶
##@§£$/-:,                                          ,:-/$£§@##
£#@=.:,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,:.=@#£
##££$$*«-¨                                          ¨-«*$$££##
@@#&$^\~,,                                          ,,~\^$&#@@
@£%=»,...¨                                          ¨...,»=%£@