#*$$*~:,,¨                                          ¨,,:~*$$*#
¤@**~¨.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.¨~**@¤
#@%&/~~¨¨,                                          ,¨¨~~/&%@#
####%$:~,¨                                          ¨,~:$%####
###@&%*«^.                                          .^«*%&@###
#@¶&&%:-,¨                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.             ,:-;§£##£#
###¤**†-~,                                          ,~-†**¤###
§$\:,¨¨¨¨. it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked .¨¨¨¨,:\$§
¤^%;-,¨,.¨ on   her  stomach,  feet  in  the   air, ¨.,¨,-;%^¤
#@@£^=---,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,---=^£@@#
£&@%†;~»., freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ,.»~;†%@&£
#§==,...,¨                                          ¨,...,==§#
&£^«»,¨¨,. my mom is here  now. i ask her  for some .,¨¨,»«^£&
#§£#@†\--. particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but .--\†@#£§#
£%=....¨,¨ she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ¨,¨....=%£
###£#£%=~,              throw it away.              ,~=%£#£###
¤%/=\/-:¨¨                                          ¨¨:-/\=/%¤
@##¤$§:«~,                                          ,~«:§$¤##@
##¶&*§*~^,                                          ,^~*§*&¶##
§§&=*»,-,¨                                          ¨,-,»*=&§§
@£†%%$;~,,                                          ,,~;$%%†£@
@&**-~¨,..                                          ..,¨~-**&@