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