##¶#&%^=~,                                          ,~=^%&#¶##
#£§&$;«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«;$&§£#
#&£%\~,,.¨                                          ¨.,,~\%£&#
#¶#$%==~,¨                                          ¨,~==%$#¶#
##£¤§†:»~¨                                          ¨~»:†§¤£##
@£&$^;«,.,                 statuette                ,.,«;^$&£@
#&§%†=,.¨,                                          ,¨.,=†%§&#
#@£%^/=:¨, *£%§$*$$$¤£££&¤£-=-=~»--§§%&*¤*£%$§%%£** ,¨:=/^%£@#
##@§£=/~~¨                £%&£¤§*£*                 ¨~~/=£§@##
#£§*^;»-.¨                                          ¨.-»;^*§£#
##$=;«~... 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 ¨¨^-†$$£@#
##@£$%^~:. must  have been laying in the  wet dirt, .:~^%$£@##
@¶££§^-~,. and i  must've  picked  it  up  with  my .,~-^§££¶@
@#£†^-,,.,            other belongings.             ,.,,-^†£#@
@@#$§^-~¨,                                          ,¨~-^§$#@@
#@£§%^*»:¨ it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked ¨:»*^%§£@#
@#&§†:=,.. on  her   stomach,  feet   in  the  air, ..,=:†§&#@
£&%=^-~,,,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,,,~-^=%&£
#@¤$%*-... freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ...-*%$¤@#
##¶¤$=\«~¨                                          ¨~«\=$¤¶##
@##£*/-,.. my mom  is  here now. i ask her for some ..,-/*£##@
@£&††~,¨,, particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but ,,¨,~††&£@
##§%*/~^., she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ,.^~/*%§##
#@#£§*;»,¨              throw it away.              ¨,»;*§£#@#
#£@§%:=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=:%§@£#
@§£*:«,,¨.                                          .¨,,«:*£§@
#£@£*\~-,,                                          ,,-~\*£@£#
#@#@$$*~~.                                          .~~*$$@#@#
###§^/~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~/^§###
#¤¤*†».¨..                                          ..¨.»†*¤¤#