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