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