##@&%*~:,.                                          .,:~*%&@##
###¶@**~:.                                          .:~**@¶###
###£$†»,.¨                                          ¨.,»†$£###
##¤§^~~..¨                                          ¨..~~^§¤##
#¤^:»,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,»:^¤#
%$/»,,¨.,¨                statuette                 ¨,.¨,,»/$%
§/=~.¨¨.,.                                          .,.¨¨.~=/§
§%:=,,.,., &%£¤§§*%¤£$£¤%&£-«»~=~«»*£%*$¤%$&*@§&$@$ ,.,.,,=:%§
@&%*-,,.,¨                ¤$@$&£@$£                 ¨,.,,-*%&@
@#%%/~,...                                          ...,~/%%#@
##@%%;-,.. forests around my  childhood home. thick ..,-;%%@##
##@@$*=~.. 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.              .,~=\$$¶##
##§*\«:,.,                                          ,.,:«\*§##
¶£^;»^,.,,                                          ,,.,^»;^£¶
@%†--¨¨¨..                                          ..¨¨¨--†%@
*^~,.¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨.,~^*
*§\«^,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,^«\§*
#@$^»-¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨-»^$@#