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