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