#@#@§*^=-.                                          .-=^*§@#@#
£%/~,....¨                                          ¨....,~/%£
&%§:/=-,~.                                          .~,-=/:§%&
#*~¨.,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,.¨~*#
@¤*$=*~~.¨                                          ¨.~~*=$*¤@
@£%$$;,¨¨¨                statuette                 ¨¨¨,;$$%£@
¤£§*,,-¨.¨                                          ¨.¨-,,*§£¤
##@¶@$;«~¨ £%£%$£%@§$%¤$$@%~-~«-»~»@%$§£$$@£§&£$£$@ ¨~«;$@¶@##
#$§$*=»»,¨                 ¤%%%£§£**                ¨,»»=*$§$#
@£@££*†~,,                                          ,,~†*££@£@
£§%†;~,.,. forests around my  childhood home. thick .,.,~;†%§£
¤§%:=†~:,¨ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ¨,:~†=:%§¤
##@#*§/«..       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ..«/§*#@##
##@&£=;-^. underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it .^-;=£&@##
#@##£%*~~. is  dark and  moist,  the  canopy having .~~*%£##@#
#@@§§%*-.. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ..-*%§§@@#
#££^«:,¨.,                                          ,.¨,:«^££#
§#§=.,¨,¨, there's  a  river passing by, from  east ,¨,¨,.=§#§
##¶@¤%^».. to west, getting broader  and deeper and ..»^%¤@¶##
####%%/-:, slower  as  it goes. equisetum grow just ,:-/%%####
&%*«=«...¨ where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let ¨...«=«*%&
##@@¤§\-^¨ through light,  horsemint  on  the rocky ¨^-\§¤@@##
##¶&£%/=,.                river bed.                .,=/%£&¶##
@##§£§;-^.                                          .^-;§£§##@
##¶§§†:~.,                     /                    ,.~:†§§¶##
@@#@£%\-,¨                                          ¨,-\%£@#@@
##@§%†;=:. the riverbanks reek  of  magic.  tonight .:=;†%§@##
#£$*¤†=--, 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 ¨¨,¨.-=*%¶
#@&$=:-¨..              throw it away.              ..¨-:=$&@#
#@&=†«,¨,.                                          .,¨,«†=&@#
#@#@*§;~,¨                                          ¨,~;§*@#@#
&$==*.:..,                                          ,..:.*==$&
##¶#%$=«^.                                          .^«=$%#¶##
£@@&¤*;«.,                                          ,.«;*¤&@@£
###@¤*/-~,                                          ,~-/*¤@###