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