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