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