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