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