@##£%=;«-,                                          ,-«;=%£##@
##¶#£*†~^.                                          .^~†*£#¶##
#§&*»,,¨..                                          ..¨,,»*&§#
¶$$«,..,,.                                          .,,..,«$$¶
§@;~.,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,.~;@§
@¶£^»,..¨,                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 .-=^%%&###
¤$:==:.¨,, she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ,,¨.:==:$¤
@¤#$=~~,¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨,~~=$#¤@
#£@&$*^=-.                                          .-=^*$&@£#
¤£¤*«.,..,                                          ,..,.«*¤£¤
@#@&¤§*=,.                                          .,=*§¤&@#@
£££%=/,~.¨                                          ¨.~,/=%£££
#@#£@^:~:,                                          ,:~:^@£#@#
¤&¤§$~^.¨,                                          ,¨.^~$§¤&¤