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