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