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