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