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