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