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