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