##@¶&$%=-,                                          ,-=%$&¶@##
¤§££¤^=»,¨                                          ¨,»=^¤££§¤
##@§§$\«,.                                          .,«\$§§@##
##£¤@%=»:¨                                          ¨:»=%@¤£##
##¶&&*=«:.                                          .:«=*&&¶##
¤*=,,.,¨,,                statuette                 ,,¨,.,,=*¤
@$^*=-.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.-=*^$@
#¤@$%-,¨,. &**%*£$%$@@@££%*--««-»~»¤&¤$%**£$$£$$%%$ .,¨,-%$@¤#
&§%$%^~^,,                ¤£¤¤¤*¤£$                 ,,^~^%$%§&
£¤$*%†*=:.                                          .:=*†%*$¤£
###§£=\«,¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨,«\=£§###
#@¶¤**\«~¨ pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ¨~«\**¤¶@#
¶@/--.¨¨,.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .,¨¨.--/@¶
¤$*%/:¨¨.¨ 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.              ,,¨¨¨¨,:@#
###£¤*/»,,                                          ,,»/*¤£###
§£†;:/†=,.                                          .,=†/:;†£§
##¶§£†;»:¨                                          ¨:»;†£§¶##
###¤%%*~^,                                          ,^~*%%¤###
#@£&¤%;~:.                                          .:~;%¤&£@#
#@@@@=:»:,                                          ,:»:=@@@@#