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