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