###&£$\«,¨                                          ¨,«\$£&###
###¶&§^~.,                                          ,.~^§&¶###
##@@£**~..                                          ..~**£@@##
#@@£%†/~:.                                          .:~/†%£@@#
@#@@$=:=~.                                          .~=:=$@@#@
##£§*%^«~.                 statuette                .~«^%*§£##
#@£^\~^¨¨.                                          .¨¨^~\^£@#
#@§=^.,.¨. @¤&%£¤£@$£@*%$§£»»««-=~=%¤£%%£&£$$¤&&¤$$ .¨.,.^=§@#
@£¤:-,....                $%$%£$¤%@                 ....,-:¤£@
#£$*$†:,¨¨                                          ¨¨,:†$*$£#
££%\;:,,,. forests around my  childhood home. thick .,,,:;\%££
#£#*=~¨,.. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ..,¨~=*#£#
##£&§*;~,.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .,~;*§&£##
¤**:-:~,,¨ underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it ¨,,~:-:**¤
#@¤=*»^... is  dark  and moist, the  canopy  having ...^»*=¤@#
##@¤@=†«., already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,.«†=@¤@##
##¤§~.¨,,,                                          ,,,¨.~§¤##
£$*;:~»-,. 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 ..«^†§####
@%$^«»,¨.,              throw it away.              ,.¨,»«^$%@
##§^;^^~.¨                                          ¨.~^^;^§##
####%^;-..                                          ..-;^%####
##¶#§†;-^.                                          .^-;†§#¶##
@¶&%^;†=..                                          ..=†;^%&¶@
#@&**\:»,,                                          ,,»:\**&@#
##@§¤†/~.¨                                          ¨.~/†¤§@##