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