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