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