###§%††=,¨                                          ¨,=††%§###
##¤£†;-:¨¨                                          ¨¨:-;†£¤##
#@%§/»~,.,                                          ,.,~»/§%@#
@%%:=^,.,.                                          .,.,^=:%%@
#&*§\~..¨,                                          ,¨..~\§*&#
##§§**~.¨.                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 .¨.¨.~:§$¤
#§%*^-..¨¨ particle board for  it  to  dry on,  but ¨¨..-^*%§#
#@&£^==,¨, she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ,¨,==^£&@#
##@§@%:~.¨              throw it away.              ¨.~:%@§@##
##¤$†:=..¨                                          ¨..=:†$¤##
@&*%†--¨,.                                          .,¨--†%*&@
££=:-~,.,¨                                          ¨,.,~-:=££
#¤%*;~^¨,,                                          ,,¨^~;*%¤#
##¤£^†-.,,                                          ,,.-†^£¤##
###£%%*«~.                                          .~«*%%£###