#@#@£**=~.                                          .~=**£@#@#
¶#@¤*$=«,¨                                          ¨,«=$*¤@#¶
@§#=^:~~,.                                          .,~~:^=#§@
@##§$§^»:,                                          ,:»^§$§##@
##¶#$*†~^,                                          ,^~†*$#¶##
##@££=^~~.                 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 ¨~»\=$¤@##
@&§=^~,.,¨ clay figure i've never  seen  before. it ¨,.,~^=§&@
###¶@%*~,, must  have  been laying in the wet dirt, ,,~*%@¶###
&*††~~,¨., and  i  must've  picked  it  up  with my ,.¨,~~††*&
¤%=^,.,¨,.             other belongings.            .,¨,.,^=%¤
##@@%$;«,,                                          ,,«;$%@@##
££*&\,.¨¨, it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked ,¨¨.,\&*££
##@@@§*»,¨ on  her   stomach,  feet   in  the  air, ¨,»*§@@@##
###@¤%†~,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,~†%¤@###
&§&^/«~-,. freshly made, not yet  completely dried. .,-~«/^&§&
##@¤£†/=-.                                          .-=/†£¤@##
###££§/=^¨ my mom is  here now. i ask her for  some ¨^=/§££###
&§%¤%^*~,, particle board for  it to  dry  on,  but ,,~*^%¤%§&
#@@§§†:~.¨ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ¨.~:†§§@@#
#§=.,¨¨,..              throw it away.              ..,¨¨,.=§#
#@#¤$**~:,                                          ,:~**$¤#@#
@*%»..¨.,.                                          .,.¨..»%*@
#£§#¤*=~.¨                                          ¨.~=*¤#§£#
@@#¤$=^«,.                                          .,«^=$¤#@@
£§£*\=:,,¨                                          ¨,,:=\*£§£
£#@%/~..,¨                                          ¨,..~/%@#£