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