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