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