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