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