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