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