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