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