#¶*^:»^¨¨.                                          .¨¨^»:^*¶#
@%%*-,,,,,                                          ,,,,,-*%%@
#¶§^;~^,.¨                                          ¨.,^~;^§¶#
##@£=\=~,¨                                          ¨,~=\=£@##
###@*$=~~,                                          ,~~=$*@###
##£%*=«,.,                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 ..-^^¤@@##
##£$§*»-.. she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ..-»*§$£##
#¶¤$^~-¨¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨¨-~^$¤¶#
#$†;»:.¨,.                                          .,¨.:»;†$#
#¶£%==~,¨,                                          ,¨,~==%£¶#
#@£*^/»~¨.                                          .¨~»/^*£@#
####@*\-:¨                                          ¨:-\*@####
#@@$^:~:.¨                                          ¨.:~:^$@@#
##&†^«-,,.                                          .,,-«^†&##