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