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