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