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