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