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