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