##@§@^†~-¨                                          ¨-~†^@§@##
#@£%»..,.,                                          ,.,..»%£@#
@#=%:=..,¨                                          ¨,..=:%=#@
@#&§£*;«-,                                          ,-«;*£§&#@
@#@¤&†:«-¨                                          ¨-«:†&¤@#@
##¶#$%\=,,                statuette                 ,,=\%$#¶##
¶£=-,¨¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨¨,-=£¶
#£%††%;~-¨ £¤§$£$§£&$*££¤@¤~-=»---~¤¤*$@¤%@¤@¤§§£*$ ¨-~;%††%£#
&#§%«^,,¨¨                ££$%§££££                 ¨¨,,^«%§#&
£@$~^-¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨-^~$@£
£&*»-«,.~, 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 ,.«:*@£#@#
##§=$»~~,, she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ,,~~»$=§##
#@$§†*,,~.              throw it away.              .~,,*†§$@#
#@#£*§†=^¨                                          ¨^=†§*£#@#
@££§^/~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~/^§££@
#@@@£$;«,¨                                          ¨,«;$£@@@#
@@*;«:¨,..                                          ..,¨:«;*@@
##¤=\::,,,                                          ,,,::\=¤##
#§£/~,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,~/£§#