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