##@@§^^~:¨                                          ¨:~^^§@@##
@%††»,..,,                                          ,,..,»††%@
####£†\«-,                                          ,-«\†£####
&*=,,,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,,,=*&
##¶#$=\«:.                                          .:«\=$#¶##
@£¤$$†/~^.                statuette                 .^~/†$$¤£@
#@£#*%*~,.                                          .,~*%*#£@#
##¤£&††~.¨ $&§*&@$£$&$%@¤%£»~=~~~==*§§$%$%&&%§%£¤§% ¨.~††&£¤##
##¤^\:*~~¨                £¤¤@**$&@                 ¨~~*:\^¤##
####¤%†=.¨                                          ¨.=†%¤####
¶¶£*/:,,,, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,,,,:/*£¶¶
##@#§%\-.. pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ..-\%§#@##
##@&&*;»,¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨,»;*&&@##
§*%-,¨.,,¨ underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ¨,,.¨,-%*§
@%*«,.¨¨¨. is  dark and  moist,  the canopy  having .¨¨¨.,«*%@
#£*-,..,¨. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .¨,..,-*£#
###@*%†«..                                          ..«†%*@###
£§~^¨¨,.,, there's  a river  passing by, from  east ,,.,¨¨^~§£
##@&£=*~-¨ to west, getting broader and deeper  and ¨-~*=£&@##
&*«~¨¨¨.,, slower as it  goes. equisetum  grow just ,,.¨¨¨~«*&
@@§-,.,¨.. where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let ..¨,.,-§@@
##£¤£%\-.¨ through light, horsemint  on  the  rocky ¨.-\%£¤£##
¶#£§%*:=^¨                river bed.                ¨^=:*%§£#¶
#¤%^†:,¨.,                                          ,.¨,:†^%¤#
##@@&§/=~.                    =                     .~=/§&@@##
£*~,¨.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.¨,~*£
£&£/~.:.¨¨ the  riverbanks  reek of  magic. tonight ¨¨.:.~/£&£
#†$†=,¨¨¨¨ 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.              ,,,¨,»*§£¤
##@¶%^*«..                                          ..«*^%¶@##
#¶£@§†:=.,                                          ,.=:†§@£¶#
##£@¤§\~~,                                          ,~~\§¤@£##
#@#¤£*^-.,                                          ,.-^*£¤#@#
###£*%†~,¨                                          ¨,~†%*£###
@@#£$$^»,.                                          .,»^$$£#@@