##@£$*^«~¨                                          ¨~«^*$£@##
@@§%=†=-.,                                          ,.-=†=%§@@
£#%=/~^¨,.                                          .,¨^~/=%#£
§£**-,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,-**£§
&§^»-,.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.,-»^§&
@$§\«-,.,.                 statuette                .,.,-«\§$@
##$%^~.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.~^%$##
#@&$^*~,,¨ §¤%&@§$$$$@&$*££~~»-=-~~£*&£$¤¤*¤%%%$¤$¤ ¨,,~*^$&@#
###&&*:~..                 $%$£§&%$*                ..~:*&&###
#@@¤*=«~,¨                                          ¨,~«=*¤@@#
#§$*†~,.¨¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨¨.,~†*$§#
£§%;=,¨,¨¨ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¨¨,¨,=;%§£
§†;-,,¨,.,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,.,¨,,-;†§
¤%^†~:¨..¨ underneath, sniffing  at the  ground. it ¨..¨:~†^%¤
@£¤%\~-,¨. is  dark  and  moist, the canopy  having .¨,-~\%¤£@
#£#*††».,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,.»††*#£#
##@£$=*~-.                                          .-~*=$£@##
@¶@§**~:¨, there's  a  river  passing by, from east ,¨:~**§@¶@
##%†;~:,¨, to west, getting broader  and deeper and ,¨,:~;†%##
&$*;»^¨,,¨ slower as it goes.  equisetum grow  just ¨,,¨^»;*$&
%%=~:,,,¨¨ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ¨¨,,,:~=%%
&§§†«.¨,¨, through light,  horsemint on  the  rocky ,¨,¨.«†§§&
#&$§\«^¨.,                river bed.                ,.¨^«\§$&#
##¤$$^»~.,                                          ,.~»^$$¤##
#@##&††«,.                    =                     .,«††&##@#
#@¤@$\»,¨.                                          .¨,»\$@¤@#
£§%§;=-,¨¨ the riverbanks  reek of  magic.  tonight ¨¨,-=;§%§£
¤@§=~-¨¨,. they  had been a swampworld with  sylvan .,¨¨-~=§@¤
§$:»~.¨¨.. water,  stone  rings and  floating moss. ..¨¨.~»:$§
#§%:-,¨,¨¨ you could've  found me  wallowing around ¨¨,¨,-:%§#
#£$%==~,., on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,.,~==%$£#
###$*:~.¨.                  bitten.                 .¨.~:*$###
###§$$\--,                                          ,--\$$§###
#¶&%^;».¨. 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 ,.~«;**&£#
##¶¤$%:«-¨              throw it away.              ¨-«:%$¤¶##
#@§$%/=-,.                                          .,-=/%$§@#
£§@§\~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~\§@§£
#§††~..¨¨,                                          ,¨¨..~††§#
%$/-,¨.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.¨,-/$%
#$†*=:.,,,                                          ,,,.:=*†$#
@@$*\».,,,                                          ,,,.»\*$@@