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