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