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