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