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