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