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