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