##@#£%†»,.                                          .,»†%£#@##
#@@$^^«-.¨                                          ¨.-«^^$@@#
###@%§;~,¨                                          ¨,~;§%@###
##@§§/-~,¨                                          ¨,~-/§§@##
###@$%:~:.                                          .:~:%$@###
##£%*^«^.,                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 ,.,-*%£###
###@*$;«:.              throw it away.              .:«;$*@###
##¶@%\~^¨,                                          ,¨^~\%@¶##
##@@§^†«.¨                                          ¨.«†^§@@##
##@¤†/«^..                                          ..^«/†¤@##
###£%%\~~.                                          .~~\%%£###
###£%*~.,,                                          ,,.~*%£###
###££%;~,,                                          ,,~;%££###