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