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