##$*=~¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨~=*$##
@£%/»,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,»/%£@
##@&@§;=,.                                          .,=;§@&@##
#£¤&@††~-.                                          .-~††@&¤£#
§&=~¨.¨,,.                                          .,,¨.¨~=&§
###@$§==^.                statuette                 .^==§$@###
#£&%%*;«^.                                          .^«;*%%&£#
##@@@§:-:¨ $%*¤%£§&%¤*&%§§*~==--=~~%§$*%£*¤*£*¤££$& ¨:-:§@@@##
#@#@¤*^»,.                 £§*¤£%$*£                .,»^*¤@#@#
#£&$%§\~~¨                                          ¨~~\§%$&£#
#@¶¤$=\-.¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨.-\=$¤¶@#
@@&§=-.,,, 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 ,,«/%%@£##
##¶§§$/»,,              throw it away.              ,,»/$§§¶##
###@§==»-¨                                          ¨-»==§@###
##£@**/»~,                                          ,~»/**@£##
&&$@*=*«-,                                          ,-«*=*@$&&
##@££§=»^,                                          ,^»=§££@##
##¶£@^†«~,                                          ,~«†^@£¶##
#####§†~,¨                                          ¨,~†§#####