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