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