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