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