#@&¤%:~~.¨                                          ¨.~~:%¤&@#
##@@¤$^~-¨                                          ¨-~^$¤@@##
##¤%%\~,.¨                                          ¨.,~\%%¤##
@£$%/~~¨¨.                                          .¨¨~~/%$£@
#@¤%†:=^¨,                                          ,¨^=:†%¤@#
##@§£$:~^,                 statuette                ,^~:$£§@##
#£¤%$^-~¨.                                          .¨~-^$%¤£#
££**=~-,,. @&$£%¤§%*$£*££§%»««-~-»=§$&&&¤$&$%%&**§§ .,,-~=**££
##¤£*†-:¨,                 *£§$*$$&&                ,¨:-†*£¤##
###£*§^~-¨                                          ¨-~^§*£###
#@¤@**»,.¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨.,»**@¤@#
£#%*;~.¨¨, pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,¨¨.~;*%#£
#@££=†-,¨,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,¨,-†=££@#
##@&@*:~-, underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it ,-~:*@&@##
#£¤£=*~:.. is  dark and moist,  the  canopy  having ..:~*=£¤£#
#§@§^»^,,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,,^»^§@§#
###£%/~~,,                                          ,,~~/%£###
####$%=».. there's  a  river  passing by, from east ..»=%$####
#@£%^\=-¨¨ to west,  getting broader and deeper and ¨¨-=\^%£@#
£&¤=\«..¨, slower  as it goes. equisetum grow  just ,¨..«\=¤&£
##§£*^--¨. where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let .¨--^*£§##
###¤§$=-,. through light,  horsemint on  the  rocky .,-=$§¤###
##@&^\»,.¨                river bed.                ¨.,»\^&@##
¶¤§%;~~,¨,                                          ,¨,~~;%§¤¶
#£¤*§\~.¨,                     :                    ,¨.~\§*¤£#
##@££*:«^.                                          .^«:*££@##
#£&$%*»,., the riverbanks reek  of  magic.  tonight ,.,»*%$&£#
#&¤†*--,¨. they had been  a  swampworld with sylvan .¨,--*†¤&#
#@#$$=-^¨¨ 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.              ,.~-†*%¤@#
##£§$%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%$§£##
#@§$^\~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~\^$§@#
£#£§*~.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.~*§£#£
#££$§=~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~=§$££#
##£@§%†-:¨                                          ¨:-†%§@£##
##@$%/~^,¨                                          ¨,^~/%$@##