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