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