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