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