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