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