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