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