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