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