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