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