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