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