###£&%/=,,                                          ,,=/%&£###
@#$§~.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.~§$#@
@¶#¤&*†=^.                                          .^=†*&¤#¶@
##£&£§=»,,                                          ,,»=§£&£##
###¤§%;»:¨                                          ¨:»;%§¤###
&§&$$=.,.¨                statuette                 ¨.,.=$$&§&
##@§£===..                                          ..===£§@##
@§£*~¨¨¨¨. %§££§*$£§§*$££@&~-««~~~-%*%@*¤@$@%@&%%£$ .¨¨¨¨~*£§@
£#%%%**»~,                 §§**§%¤@§                ,~»**%%%#£
##£¤£†/»-,                                          ,-»/†£¤£##
##@¤$§:=,, forests around my childhood home.  thick ,,=:§$¤@##
###§&*;-~¨ 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 .¨..,,;¤&@
##@£$*=~,¨              throw it away.              ¨,~=*$£@##
£¤$=%;~,,¨                                          ¨,,~;%=$¤£
&£&*†:^«~¨                                          ¨~«^:†*&£&
¶##&$§:-..                                          ..-:§$&##¶
#@#§§%†«^,                                          ,^«†%§§#@#
#&^*;\-.^,                                          ,^.-\;*^&#
@@#¤%*;~:,                                          ,:~;*%¤#@@