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