##@#§%*»-.                                          .-»*%§#@##
###§**/~.¨                                          ¨.~/**§###
##¶&@^*»~¨                                          ¨~»*^@&¶##
@#&§¤*†=,.                                          .,=†*¤§&#@
&&#%§/»~^¨                                          ¨^~»/§%#&&
##@@@$*»~¨                statuette                 ¨~»*$@@@##
@%†:¨¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨¨:†%@
@###¤*\-., @*$&£@§£&$¤@$££$»~~~~«~=£%§§§¤£¤%@§%§&@$ ,.-\*¤###@
#@#££*\«~.                 %*£§$%*%@                .~«\*££#@#
#####**=,.                                          .,=**#####
###¤@%*=^, forests  around my childhood home. thick ,^=*%@¤###
@$%*=\-,,¨ 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 ,~»^†£$%££
#¶&:†~¨¨¨¨ she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ¨¨¨¨~†:&¶#
###¤£%==.,              throw it away.              ,.==%£¤###
@£$=†==-.,                                          ,.-==†=$£@
##£&£†^«:,                                          ,:«^†£&£##
@£§@:*\»:¨                                          ¨:»\*:@§£@
§*/«:-.,,.                                          .,,.-:«/*§
#@¶@@§*~-.                                          .-~*§@@¶@#
#£@§¤†\»,.                                          .,»\†¤§@£#