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