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