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