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