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