#@#&*§†~,,                                          ,,~†§*&#@#
@¶@*^=:~,,                                          ,,~:=^*@¶@
£%%$^%:»,,                                          ,,»:%^$%%£
#§%*%«,--,                                          ,--,«%*%§#
&§%--¨..,,                                          ,,..¨--%§&
#$:.,,.¨¨¨                statuette                 ¨¨¨.,,.:$#
£%;:,¨,,..                                          ..,,¨,:;%£
§^:.¨,.¨,¨ *¤%§$*@%%£¤$%@*%=~==-~««%$£@£§$%@$$&$¤§§ ¨,¨.,¨.:^§
#£%†==-~-¨                ££%&£¤&%%                 ¨-~-==†%£#
£@*^/;^,¨.                                          .¨,^;/^*@£
@@%:/.,¨.¨ 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 ¨^-^$$§@@#
##£¤§%=~-¨ clay  figure i've never seen  before. it ¨-~=%§¤£##
####%^†--, must have  been  laying in the wet dirt, ,--†^%####
@*=~..,,,, and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my ,,,,..~=*@
##@§&$*=~¨             other belongings.            ¨~=*$&§@##
&*::»-¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨-»::*&
¶£†»::¨¨.. it's a statuette of a girl  laying naked ..¨¨::»†£¶
¤=:;«,¨.¨. on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, .¨.¨,«;:=¤
@@@£¤%\=-.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .-=\%¤£@@@
###&%%;~~. freshly made, not yet  completely dried. .~~;%%&###
##¶§&††«^,                                          ,^«††&§¶##
##&§%§†«^. my  mom  is here now. i ask her for some .^«†§%§&##
¶#§*--~¨,. particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but .,¨~--*§#¶
@%%~,^,.¨, she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ,¨.,^,~%%@
###@£$=~^,              throw it away.              ,^~=$£@###
#@£§§†\=,¨                                          ¨,=\†§§£@#
@$*$$*/=^¨                                          ¨^=/*$$*$@
@¶$^^:-¨,¨                                          ¨,¨-:^^$¶@
##†§$-~:,,                                          ,,:~-$§†##
##@@&%*-~,                                          ,~-*%&@@##
#@#¤@%\~-¨                                          ¨-~\%@¤#@#