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