##@#§††~,¨                                          ¨,~††§#@##
#@#&$§;~,¨                                          ¨,~;§$&#@#
##¤:=»-,¨,                                          ,¨,-»=:¤##
#£@†^,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,^†@£#
##@#%**=,¨                                          ¨,=**%#@##
#&%~»~,¨,.                 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 ,-»/%%@@@#
##@£$†*~.,              throw it away.              ,.~*†$£@##
#@@¤*$;»~¨                                          ¨~»;$*¤@@#
##£§$%/~,,                                          ,,~/%$§£##
§¤%§;\.,¨,                                          ,¨,.\;§%¤§
#¤@*=*†».¨                                          ¨.»†*=*@¤#
##@@§%=~:.                                          .:~=%§@@##
@$%=¨¨¨.,,                                          ,,.¨¨¨=%$@