#§%†«.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.«†%§#
#%*^~-¨...                                          ...¨-~^*%#
#@@¤$^:-:,                                          ,:-:^$¤@@#
###@&*:=,,                                          ,,=:*&@###
@^%~:¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨:~%^@
##£@$$=-,,                 statuette                ,,-=$$@£##
#@%^«~,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,~«^%@#
§¤@££*==-¨ %%&&@$%%@@£££%£§=~~«-~»«§@¤$&$%&¤£&£&§£$ ¨-==*££@¤§
&§&/~~-,,,                *@%$£$£$$                 ,,,-~~/&§&
¶#¶¤$*^~,,                                          ,,~^*$¤¶#¶
#@$^\/::,, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,,::/\^$@#
##£¤@%†~,. 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.              ¨,~=*§¤#@@
###¤*^:=^.                                          .^=:^*¤###
#¤§§†$*»~,                                          ,~»*$†§§¤#
&†~,,,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,,,~†&
#@#@£^\»,.                                          .,»\^£@#@#
@#@@£*:»-,                                          ,-»:*£@@#@
¤%§-~..¨¨.                                          .¨¨..~-§%¤