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