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