@¶§=*,..,.                                          .,..,*=§¶@
####&=^=:.                                          .:=^=&####
##&#£%;=~¨                                          ¨~=;%£#&##
#$£^«~.,~.                                          .~,.~«^£$#
##@¤%%:»..                                          ..»:%%¤@##
¶££§~-.,¨,                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. .^=/%&¤###
#@¶#*§*~,¨                                          ¨,~*§*#¶@#
#£§*§/=~,¨                    :                     ¨,~=/§*§£#
£&=†«-,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,-«†=&£
@$$\-,.,,¨ i  am not followed, and slow down in the ¨,,.,-\$$@
##£¤^~»«~, clearing  where  you  at  first can spot ,~«»~^¤£##
##¶§£%:-., the  house,  not  yet   really  in   the ,.-:%£§¶##
##£#**^~,. backyard.  from my pockets i retrieve my .,~^**#£##
£*§==,..., radio  (now  dented)  but  also  a small ,...,==§*£
#@%=\,.,¨¨ clay  figure i've never seen  before. it ¨¨,.,\=%@#
###&¤%\«~¨ must have  been laying in  the wet dirt, ¨~«\%¤&###
###@@$†~^. and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my .^~†$@@###
&@%*/~.¨¨,             other belongings.            ,¨¨.~/*%@&
##@¤£%;~^.                                          .^~;%£¤@##
##£#@*^»,¨ it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ¨,»^*@#£##
¤§@£%%/«.. on  her  stomach,  feet   in   the  air, ..«/%%£@§¤
#^*»,,.,.¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨.,.,,»*^#
##@£$*†~.. freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ..~†*$£@##
¶&%==.,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.==%&¶
##@§£^;~.¨ my mom is  here now.  i ask her for some ¨.~;^£§@##
@¤#$\,.,.. particle  board  for it to dry  on,  but ..,.,\$#¤@
##¶§&§=»:¨ she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ¨:»=§&§¶##
###@$^=»,.              throw it away.              .,»=^$@###
##¶#$$^«-.                                          .-«^$$#¶##
#@£%%%/=~¨                                          ¨~=/%%%£@#
#@#&@$==-¨                                          ¨-==$@&#@#
##£§*%=».¨                                          ¨.»=%*§£##
#@@£$%:»..                                          ..»:%$£@@#
#%%~,,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,,~%%#