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