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