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