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