#%$%:,.,..                                          ..,.,:%$%#
@@@¤$**«~.                                          .~«**$¤@@@
@@¤†»,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,»†¤@@
##£&$*;»:,                                          ,:»;*$&£##
##@#&§/«-¨                                          ¨-«/§&#@##
@¶&\~,.¨¨¨                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 ¨:=^§§$§&#
##¶&£§:-:. on  her  stomach,   feet  in  the   air, .:-:§£&¶##
@#§*-^,.¨,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,¨.,^-*§#@
@#¶§§%;=., freshly made, not yet  completely dried. ,.=;%§§¶#@
@###%*/»,¨                                          ¨,»/*%###@
###@¤††«,, my mom  is  here now. i ask her for some ,,«††¤@###
@#%¤†=\~.. particle board for  it  to dry  on,  but ..~\=†¤%#@
#@#¤&%/»-, she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to ,-»/%&¤#@#
¤§;~-=~,,.              throw it away.              .,,~=-~;§¤
#@¤$†*.-¨.                                          .¨-.*†$¤@#
###¤£%\=,¨                                          ¨,=\%£¤###
#@£@&†*»^¨                                          ¨^»*†&@£@#
#¤¤£%$:~:,                                          ,:~:$%£¤¤#
##@¤&%*-:.                                          .:-*%&¤@##
#£$$^=¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨=^$$£#