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