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