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