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