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