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