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