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