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