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