##¶£$*\--¨                                          ¨--\*$£¶##
@##%*;~:.,                                          ,.:~;*%##@
¶¤¤§†«^,¨¨                                          ¨¨,^«†§¤¤¶
#£@£§\-^,,                                          ,,^-\§£@£#
#@@¤%$†~,¨                                          ¨,~†$%¤@@#
#¶@$^^»:,,                statuette                 ,,:»^^$@¶#
£§&*†»^,,.                                          .,,^»†*&§£
@@§£^†~^¨¨ %£%¤£¤&¤&$£$%£@£~»=-=»»~$£@££&$¤&@¤@%§£& ¨¨^~†^£§@@
#@¶£@*\-~,                 £*$£¤@¤$%                ,~-\*@£¶@#
#@@§$\«-,¨                                          ¨,-«\$§@@#
@£$%:«~,¨, 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 ¨.:~:%$§@#
@#%==~,..¨ particle  board  for it to dry  on,  but ¨..,~==%#@
#@££%;-^¨. she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to .¨^-;%££@#
##@££=†~,.              throw it away.              .,~†=££@##
#¶#$*;«,,.                                          .,,«;*$#¶#
#&$§:-.,,,                                          ,,,.-:§$&#
###£%\~^.,                                          ,.^~\%£###
##@#§%:-,,                                          ,,-:%§#@##
@£§£%*-,.¨                                          ¨.,-*%£§£@
#@$††~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~††$@#