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