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