¶£@¤**/=:.                                          .:=/**¤@£¶
##£@%**=-.                                          .-=**%@£##
#£^^/-,.,,                                          ,,.,-/^^£#
##¶§%$;~:,                                          ,:~;$%§¶##
###@$%*-:,                                          ,:-*%$@###
##¶¤$%=»~.                statuette                 .~»=%$¤¶##
####£=^-^.                                          .^-^=£####
##¶£%=/«,. %£££%£¤¤&%£¤$££@-~»=--»-@&¤&§%¤$£@$%*&*¤ .,«/=%£¶##
#@£¤$%†»^,                 $&%£¤@%£§                ,^»†%$¤£@#
##@&$§†~,¨                                          ¨,~†§$&@##
##@#$†;-:, forests around my childhood home.  thick ,:-;†$#@##
####£%=~-¨ 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.              ,^~/%%££##
¤£^*-=¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨=-*^£¤
@&†=,^.¨..                                          ..¨.^,=†&@
§&§\^-,¨.,                                          ,.¨,-^\§&§
££$$:»»~~,                                          ,~~»»:$$££
¤§;:»»~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~»»:;§¤
#&¤&$~»«^¨                                          ¨^«»~$&¤&#