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