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