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