¶#%*-,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,-*%#¶
&=$†%».¨,,                                          ,,¨.»%†$=&
&$*-....¨.                                          .¨....-*$&
@§=:-»-~~.                                          .~~-»-:=§@
#@@£§$^»^,                                          ,^»^$§£@@#
##£§$*\-~,                 statuette                ,~-\*$§£##
###££%$~:.                                          .:~$%££###
#$*†;=,¨¨. %&$*¤%£%%*§$££*§««-~=»~-¤¤£§§£%£&§¤$$£$% .¨¨,=;†*$#
#@##¤*/-^.                 ¤*@%%§@$&                .^-/*¤##@#
##£¤$===~¨                                          ¨~===$¤£##
##@#£=*»,¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨,»*=£#@##
##@£@¤*†=¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨=†*¤@£@##
##£§$%†«:,       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.              ¨^-/%§@@##
###@¤*^«,,                                          ,,«^*¤@###
@%*~=~¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨~=~*%@
@£^**,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,**^£@
####§§==~,                                          ,~==§§####
@@*»=,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,=»*@@
###§@†=~,¨                                          ¨,~=†@§###