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