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