@&$£:~¨..,                                          ,..¨~:£$&@
##¶&@^==.¨                                          ¨.==^@&¶##
#§¤§;=~-,.                                          .,-~=;§¤§#
#@#¤¤=:-.¨                                          ¨.-:=¤¤#@#
#@£#§*/»^,                                          ,^»/*§#£@#
##$***=«..                 statuette                ..«=***$##
####@§†»~,                                          ,~»†§@####
#@##%§;~:. £&£$$£§&$£$§%*$&»»~»«-«~%££¤%$*£%&@££%§§ .:~;§%##@#
#£¤§**†=^,                 ¤$%*%*¤%$                ,^=†**§¤£#
@%;*,,¨...                                          ...¨,,*;%@
##@£%*\=~, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,~=\*%£@##
##¶&@%*~^¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨^~*%@&¶##
##@#$%†~.,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,.~†%$#@##
#@##%=†-^. underneath, sniffing  at the  ground. it .^-†=%##@#
#@#££%*~~. is  dark  and moist, the  canopy  having .~~*%££#@#
###@*^:~^, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,^~:^*@###
##@£*†*~:.                                          .:~*†*£@##
§$£**»«-:, there's  a  river  passing by, from east ,:-«»**£$§
##@¤%$;-.¨ to west,  getting broader and deeper and ¨.-;$%¤@##
@##$«~¨... slower as it  goes. equisetum grow  just ...¨~«$##@
##@@§*†«,. where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let .,«†*§@@##
###&&*/~-¨ through light, horsemint  on  the  rocky ¨-~/*&&###
##@¤*^;-,.                river bed.                .,-;^*¤@##
@##§$$\«,,                                          ,,«\$$§##@
##@¤%*/--¨                     \                    ¨--/*%¤@##
###£#^;-,¨                                          ¨,-;^#£###
##¶#&*:«^, 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 ,.,,¨.-%&#
@#@$:~««^.              throw it away.              .^««~:$@#@
###£#†/=.¨                                          ¨.=/†#£###
@§@££§/=,,                                          ,,=/§££@§@
@#@#$§;-.,                                          ,.-;§$#@#@
#@£§$$*»^¨                                          ¨^»*$$§£@#
#@;,,¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨,,;@#
@¤¤§£$\~.¨                                          ¨.~\$£§¤¤@