@#¤$$/«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«/$$¤#@
##@&$%*=^¨                                          ¨^=*%$&@##
#¶#§%\=~,.                                          .,~=\%§#¶#
#&**^«~,,¨                                          ¨,,~«^**&#
#@£§$*~,,¨                                          ¨,,~*$§£@#
###§%*=-:¨                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. .,-«:†@§##
#§$$:«..¨¨                                          ¨¨..«:$$§#
#@§§*/~-..                    \                     ..-~/*§§@#
####£%=-:¨                                          ¨:-=%£####
@@§$%;»~,¨ i am  not followed, and slow down in the ¨,~»;%$§@@
@£%§/=.,¨. clearing where  you at  first  can  spot .¨,.=/§%£@
@@&%^\-^.. the  house,   not   yet  really  in  the ..^-\^%&@@
##££¤^;=,, backyard. from my  pockets i retrieve my ,,=;^¤££##
@£¤£=*~,¨¨ radio  (now  dented)  but also  a  small ¨¨,~*=£¤£@
#£%§*»..,¨ clay figure i've  never seen before.  it ¨,..»*§%£#
#@¤%=\~~¨¨ must have  been laying  in the wet dirt, ¨¨~~\=%¤@#
#@@@$*=~^, and  i must've  picked  it  up  with  my ,^~=*$@@@#
@#¤@§*«~,.            other belongings.             .,~«*§@¤#@
£&$§†»:¨..                                          ..¨:»†§$&£
@#¤$%†».,. it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked .,.»†%$¤#@
##£§@=*«.. on  her  stomach,  feet  in   the   air, ..«*=@§£##
##&$%=«:..   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ..:«=%$&##
£&¤*\~.¨,¨ freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ¨,¨.~\*¤&£
@££$*=~,.¨                                          ¨.,~=*$££@
#@##£%/~.¨ my mom  is here now.  i ask her for some ¨.~/%£##@#
##§§%=-^¨¨ particle board for  it  to dry  on,  but ¨¨^-=%§§##
@&$§†=,,,, she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to ,,,,=†§$&@
##§$††-:.,              throw it away.              ,.:-††$§##
##@¤*%^-.,                                          ,.-^%*¤@##
@£&%*^«-,,                                          ,,-«^*%&£@
@@$=*~,...                                          ...,~*=$@@
##¤$$;»,.¨                                          ¨.,»;$$¤##
#@@¤£%\-~.                                          .~-\%£¤@@#
@@¤$*\«,.,                                          ,.,«\*$¤@@