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