@&†=~¨.,¨,                                          ,¨,.¨~=†&@
#@#†**†~:¨                                          ¨:~†**†#@#
£@£*=«=¨..                                          ..¨=«=*£@£
#£;-,...,.                                          .,...,-;£#
§¤¤@£*/=,.                                          .,=/*£@¤¤§
#&§^^=~,,.                 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 ¨,-\%*&£@@
@#$†~~,... she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to ...,~~†$#@
##@¤¤$;».,              throw it away.              ,.»;$¤¤@##
£#¶£*%;~:¨                                          ¨:~;%*£¶#£
##&§^=:~,¨                                          ¨,~:=^§&##
##&$*».,,,                                          ,,,.»*$&##
##¶@¤§=~:.                                          .:~=§¤@¶##
@#££§~.¨.,                                          ,.¨.~§££#@
##£#£%^«,.                                          .,«^%£#£##