#££%=†«-..                                          ..-«†=%££#
£@¤†;«..,,                                          ,,..«;†¤@£
#@£@$/~.¨.                                          .¨.~/$@£@#
##@@$^/~~.                                          .~~/^$@@##
@¶&§$==,,,                                          ,,,==$§&¶@
@@¤$:~..¨,                statuette                 ,¨..~:$¤@@
@@¤&**=^,¨                                          ¨,^=**&¤@@
##@§%*;=,. §£$&&¤%£%$£%$&%$~«~~»--«¤$%¤$£@&¤$@*£§&@ .,=;*%§@##
###$=†~.,¨                 £%£%¤§@$@                ¨,.~†=$###
¶&%^:=.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.=:^%&¶
@@@$^:~,,, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,,,~:^$@@@
##@¤&†*~-¨ 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.              ¨.,»/%£#@#
@¤£§\~^¨¨,                                          ,¨¨^~\§£¤@
#¶#&$*~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~*$&#¶#
#@¶&&*=~^.                                          .^~=*&&¶@#
##&£%;=-,¨                                          ¨,-=;%£&##
##%%:».,.¨                                          ¨.,.»:%%##
@#&¤§*~~.,                                          ,.~~*§¤&#@