###@%=^~~,                                          ,~~^=%@###
¶¤#§*%=~,,                                          ,,~=%*§#¤¶
#@#¤§§^~-.                                          .-~^§§¤#@#
##¶@¤^:«-,                                          ,-«:^¤@¶##
##¶¤%$\-~¨                                          ¨~-\$%¤¶##
&§¤§&%^«-.                 statuette                .-«^%&§¤§&
###££†:~,,                                          ,,~:†££###
#@¶@$%^«^¨ %¤$¤&$$¤%¤@@¤£%¤~«»=~~»=$%%$%%&$$&$£%§¤% ¨^«^%$@¶@#
#££^»~,,¨¨                 %@$*££&&%                ¨¨,,~»^££#
##@&¤§*»,¨                                          ¨,»*§¤&@##
#@^*=««~:. forests around  my childhood home. thick .:~««=*^@#
@##@£%=»-¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨-»=%£@##@
#@#§@†\=~.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .~=\†@§#@#
@#¶§&$/«:¨ 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 ¨¨,,,¨~=%&
##@@$=:~,.              throw it away.              .,~:=$@@##
@¶$¤%†/~~¨                                          ¨~~/†%¤$¶@
¶¤$:*;*~-,                                          ,-~*;*:$¤¶
@%***:»¨,.                                          .,¨»:***%@
£&&¤*%†~,,                                          ,,~†%*¤&&£
£*/:¨,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,¨:/*£
#@%§»«,¨.,                                          ,.¨,«»§%@#