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