@¶££@%†=:,                                          ,:=†%@££¶@
@¶*%§^^.¨¨                                          ¨¨.^^§%*¶@
@@&:^^†»:.                                          .:»†^^:&@@
@#£§@*^«:,                                          ,:«^*@§£#@
##@¶*†*«^,                                          ,^«*†*¶@##
&¤¤^:.:..,                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 .,.¨¨,*$&@
#@#@¤*^=-¨ radio  (now dented)  but  also  a  small ¨-=^*¤@#@#
##@#¤*;»~. clay figure i've  never seen before.  it .~»;*¤#@##
#@¤£:,.,,¨ must have  been laying  in the wet dirt, ¨,,.,:£¤@#
@@¤*~«,,,. and  i  must've  picked  it up  with  my .,,,«~*¤@@
#@&¤@*†~,.            other belongings.             .,~†*@¤&@#
@¶§:*;:~..                                          ..~:;*:§¶@
##£#£§:-,, it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ,,-:§£#£##
@§$%$^=»-¨ on  her  stomach,  feet   in   the  air, ¨-»=^$%$§@
#@#@%%;=^.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .^=;%%@#@#
####¤%=~., freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ,.~=%¤####
&%£†»»~.¨,                                          ,¨.~»»†£%&
@££§=..,.¨ my mom is here  now.  i ask her for some ¨.,..=§££@
##@§£=/«-. particle  board for  it  to dry  on, but .-«/=£§@##
@#@^-¨.¨,, she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ,,¨.¨-^@#@
#@@;«.¨¨.,              throw it away.              ,.¨¨.«;@@#
#@¶£¤§^»~¨                                          ¨~»^§¤£¶@#
##@&&*;=-¨                                          ¨-=;*&&@##
##¶§¤$†~:¨                                          ¨:~†$¤§¶##
@%=,.¨.,..                                          ..,.¨.,=%@
###&%*\=..                                          ..=\*%&###
@$*~,,.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.,,~*$@