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