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