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