&@*=--¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨--=*@&
&¤%£@**~~.                                          .~~**@£%¤&
@#¤%:~~..,                                          ,..~~:%¤#@
@%=%$=\~~,                                          ,~~\=$%=%@
##@@§£†:»,                                          ,»:†£§@@##
#@#&£%†«~¨                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 ,^†$$££###
#@@&¤$/~:. clearing  where  you  at  first can spot .:~/$¤&@@#
@#@^~~,,., the  house,   not  yet  really  in   the ,.,,~~^@#@
@$\.,.¨¨,, backyard. from my pockets  i retrieve my ,,¨¨.,.\$@
¤†-,¨,.,¨. radio  (now  dented)  but also  a  small .¨,.,¨,-†¤
#§£^«».¨¨¨ clay figure i've never  seen  before. it ¨¨¨.»«^£§#
###@¤§^~^¨ must have been  laying in the wet  dirt, ¨^~^§¤@###
&$*».¨¨,,, and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my ,,,¨¨.»*$&
###£$§†«^¨             other belongings.            ¨^«†§$£###
§^~,..,.,.                                          .,.,..,~^§
#¤%*†~,,¨¨ it's  a statuette of a girl laying naked ¨¨,,~†*%¤#
#@†§;-.¨,, on  her  stomach,   feet   in  the  air, ,,¨.-;§†@#
&§»¨,.¨,¨,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,¨,¨.,¨»§&
#@##¤^:«-. freshly made, not yet completely  dried. .-«:^¤##@#
¤£@£%*»~,.                                          .,~»*%£@£¤
##@@#†;~.¨ my  mom  is here now. i ask her for some ¨.~;†#@@##
@¤=%:,¨,¨, particle  board for  it  to  dry on, but ,¨,¨,:%=¤@
##@££%;~:, she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ,:~;%££@##
¶*:\~,,^~,              throw it away.              ,~^,,~\:*¶
###£¤=/~,,                                          ,,~/=¤£###
##@§$§:--¨                                          ¨--:§$§@##
#@#¤$$:~:,                                          ,:~:$$¤#@#
##@#%%†=.,                                          ,.=†%%#@##
###§$**~-¨                                          ¨-~**$§###
#@##£§;»-¨                                          ¨-»;§£##@#