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