@#@¤%^:-^.                                          .^-:^%¤@#@
£&=«:¨.,,,                                          ,,,.¨:«=&£
¶#@#@^;«,,                                          ,,«;^@#@#¶
##£#%†/~,,                                          ,,~/†%#£##
##@#£§==^.                                          .^==§£#@##
¤§=\,,¨...                 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 .^=*%%¤#@#
##$&^*;».¨ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ¨.»;*^&$##
##££$=:=^,              throw it away.              ,^=:=$££##
###¤$%\~,¨                                          ¨,~\%$¤###
§*~¨¨,¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨,¨¨~*§
##@§$*:-^¨                                          ¨^-:*$§@##
####&%*»,,                                          ,,»*%&####
##@@$^==,.                                          .,==^$@@##
#¶%%^~~,,¨                                          ¨,,~~^%%¶#