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