##@£*$*~,,                                          ,,~*$*£@##
#¶§*===,.,                                          ,.,===*§¶#
@&*$;«.¨.,                                          ,.¨.«;$*&@
@$*;~-...,                                          ,...-~;*$@
@&$*=«~..¨                                          ¨..~«=*$&@
#@§¤$†~,,.                 statuette                .,,~†$¤§@#
##@£%*;~,¨                                          ¨,~;*%£@##
#@#£%;=~¨¨ $%£@&§%@$$$%**$$--»~~»~~£%$§%$¤§%§&$£££& ¨¨~=;%£#@#
#¤¤^:~,¨.¨                 ¤*%%$*£@£                ¨.¨,~:^¤¤#
¤§$/«^,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,^«/$§¤
¶&$**«.,¨. forests around  my childhood home. thick .¨,.«**$&¶
#@¤@†==~,. 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   ..~==$@#@#
#@§&§^«,., freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ,.,«^§&§@#
#&£%:=-.,¨                                          ¨,.-=:%£&#
¤%§^»~¨,,, my mom is here  now. i  ask her for some ,,,¨~»^§%¤
#¤*%^»:¨.¨ particle board for  it  to dry  on,  but ¨.¨:»^%*¤#
###%%†«,.. she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to ..,«†%%###
###¤¤%^~^.              throw it away.              .^~^%¤¤###
@@#£*†~:¨,                                          ,¨:~†*£#@@
@@$§†»,,,.                                          .,,,»†§$@@
#£$^»^.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.^»^$£#
@£$%\-,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,-\%$£@
#@§§§†«,¨.                                          .¨,«†§§§@#
#@@#$$=~,,                                          ,,~=$$#@@#