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