§#¤%~-¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨-~%¤#§
##@@£*†~..                                          ..~†*£@@##
##$*-~,¨,.                                          .,¨,~-*$##
§¤&*«¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨«*&¤§
##@#$=*~^¨                                          ¨^~*=$#@##
#@@@%%=~:.                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 .,»:=*@###
@#$£*«¨,¨,              throw it away.              ,¨,¨«*£$#@
@#$†.^¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨^.†$#@
##@@*^/~~,                                          ,~~/^*@@##
#@£§¤%=-.,                                          ,.-=%¤§£@#
¤@%&*«-^.,                                          ,.^-«*&%@¤
#§=^.,..,.                                          .,..,.^=§#
@&£¤/«,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,«/¤£&@