£¤$§\:¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨:\§$¤£
#†$†*^/~^.                                          .^~/^*†$†#
@§%\-.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.-\%§@
##@¤$*\«,.                                          .,«\*$¤@##
##@¤***«-¨                                          ¨-«***¤@##
##$¤^=*=,,                statuette                 ,,=*=^¤$##
###§&%*=-.                                          .-=*%&§###
@§†,-..,.. $@%*$%§$%£@%$£*@«-=-»«~-$%&*&§&@@£££¤%*£ ..,..-,†§@
#@#&%%†~..                 &@*§$$%&&                ..~†%%&#@#
#@¶§$^^-~.                                          .~-^^$§¶@#
#@#@£=*»:, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,:»*=£@#@#
##@¤£*^~,¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨,~^*£¤@##
###&$*^~:,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,:~^*$&###
#@¶@$$*»,¨ 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 .-~/$%#£##
##¶#£%†-~. she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to .~-†%£#¶##
##¤%†=,,,,              throw it away.              ,,,,=†%¤##
###&%§/~-¨                                          ¨-~/§%&###
#@@@$%^»,.                                          .,»^%$@@@#
@#£%^~,...                                          ...,~^%£#@
£#$£¤$=-,¨                                          ¨,-=$¤£$#£
§*~~~,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,~~~*§
#§$^^~^.,.                                          .,.^~^^$§#