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