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