##@§¤=;»^.                                          .^»;=¤§@##
¤^~-¨.¨..,                                          ,..¨.¨-~^¤
##$%%~=»~.                                          .~»=~%%$##
@#@£§††-,.                                          .,-††§£@#@
#$%:~^¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨^~:%$#
#&%^\^~~^.                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, .¨¨.=\†==£
@$\«¨,.,.. and  i  must've  picked  it up  with  my ..,.,¨«\$@
##@@§%*«.¨             other belongings.            ¨.«*%§@@##
##¶#%§\~-.                                          .-~\§%#¶##
#@#&§==«-. it's a statuette of a girl  laying naked .-«==§&#@#
#£§†*^\»,, on   her  stomach,  feet  in   the  air, ,,»\^*†§£#
#@*--¨¨¨,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,¨¨¨--*@#
@@§~.:,,,, freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ,,,,:.~§@@
§§&%~~,:.,                                          ,.:,~~%&§§
##@@%=†»:¨ my mom  is  here now. i ask her for some ¨:»†=%@@##
##@¶&¤=~,¨ particle board  for it  to  dry  on, but ¨,~=¤&¶@##
@¤¤¤&%==:¨ she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ¨:==%&¤¤¤@
£*†».¨¨,¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨,¨¨.»†*£
#$*;;»¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨»;;*$#
#¶§*^-^~¨¨                                          ¨¨~^-^*§¶#
#¤%;=-¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨-=;%¤#
###§£§†-..                                          ..-†§£§###
#@%†$%=-~¨                                          ¨~-=%$†%@#
#@%£/,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,/£%@#