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