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