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