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