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