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