@&=:«-,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,-«:=&@
*%^=..,.¨,                                          ,¨.,..=^%*
†/~-.,.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.,.-~/†
*^^»:.....                                          .....:»^^*
@§^^~,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,~^^§@
¶¤$^;~,¨¨¨                 statuette                ¨¨¨,~;^$¤¶
##££*;-~,¨                                          ¨,~-;*££##
##£¤§%:«,. @££%@¤§$&@$@$$%*-~~»~~=»¤£$§££$££$£*%¤¤$ .,«:%§¤£##
#@££%;~:,.                 @%$$$&$$*                .,:~;%££@#
#§@$;-~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~-;$@§#
££*=~:.¨¨, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,¨¨.:~=*££
£%*=-¨¨,¨. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and .¨,¨¨-=*%£
§;~-¨....¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨....¨-~;§
$^\»,¨,.,¨ underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ¨,.,¨,»\^$
£%§;=,.¨,¨ is  dark  and  moist, the  canopy having ¨,¨.,=;§%£
¶¤&=†-,.,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,.,-†=&¤¶
##@$*=«,¨.                                          .¨,«=*$@##
###£§*^«,¨ there's a river  passing  by, from  east ¨,«^*§£###
##@$††=^.¨ to west, getting broader  and deeper and ¨.^=††$@##
#£*$/~.,.. slower  as it goes. equisetum grow  just ..,.~/$*£#
&$†^~-¨,,, where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let ,,,¨-~^†$&
%%^~^,¨¨,, through light,  horsemint on  the  rocky ,,¨¨,^~^%%
$*».,..¨.,                river bed.                ,.¨..,.»*$
$$†-^,,.¨,                                          ,¨.,,^-†$$
#§†/--¨¨¨¨                     /                    ¨¨¨¨--/†§#
#£$§=«.,¨,                                          ,¨,.«=§$£#
#@¤§=/«-¨¨ 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 .,...,»\^§
$:~:¨¨,,¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨,,¨¨:~:$
%*†-~..,¨¨                                          ¨¨,..~-†*%
&$§\»^,¨,,                                          ,,¨,^»\§$&
#§*%*~^.¨.                                          .¨.^~*%*§#
#@¤¤%;=,¨.                                          .¨,=;%¤¤@#
##@£@^;»~¨                                          ¨~»;^@£@##
#£&&%†=.¨,                                          ,¨.=†%&&£#