###@§%/~-¨                                          ¨-~/%§@###
@&&^»¨,,¨,                                          ,¨,,¨»^&&@
###¤%**~,¨                                          ¨,~**%¤###
##@&¤*;~.¨                                          ¨.~;*¤&@##
##@@*%=~,¨                                          ¨,~=%*@@##
##@¶£†:-,¨                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 ¨--/^*§###
#@@£&$\~~, on   her   stomach,  feet  in  the  air, ,~~\$&£@@#
¤#§*@%:-,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,-:%@*§#¤
##@@¤%*-,¨ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ¨,-*%¤@@##
¤=~~,¨.¨.,                                          ,.¨.¨,~~=¤
§¤#*»-,.,. my mom  is here now.  i ask her for some .,.,-»*#¤§
##@##*=;»~ particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ~»;=*##@##
££%*\†:,.¨ she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ¨.,:†\*%££
##@¶£†==-,              throw it away.              ,-==†£¶@##
#@%§-,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,-§%@#
@@£§§%;~,,                                          ,,~;%§§£@@
&§$£=^¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨^=£$§&
#@¶£%^†~.,                                          ,.~†^%£¶@#
@@£†/.,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,./†£@@
#@%\=..¨¨,                                          ,¨¨..=\%@#