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