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