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