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