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