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