#£@*=~~,¨.                                          .¨,~~=*@£#
##¶£&%:=:¨                                          ¨:=:%&£¶##
##£#$*/=~.                                          .~=/*$#£##
##&=^^-.,,                                          ,,.-^^=&##
#£=~~~,,¨,                                          ,¨,,~~~=£#
###££§†~-¨                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 ....«%¤¤@#
###£$§^»-. particle  board for  it to  dry  on, but .-»^§$£###
@£$&*/\~:¨ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ¨:~\/*&$£@
#@@£$*=~,¨              throw it away.              ¨,~=*$£@@#
###@££%^~.                                          .~^%££@###
§£§»,,..,.                                          .,..,,»§£§
#§$:/,¨..,                                          ,..¨,/:$§#
###@£==-~,                                          ,~-==£@###
¶$§«~.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.~«§$¶
@@*«,¨...,                                          ,...¨,«*@@