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