#@#§%=†~-¨                                          ¨-~†=%§#@#
##@££$/«,.                                          .,«/$££@##
##¶¤£§;»,,                                          ,,»;§£¤¶##
@†$/~,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,~/$†@
£$\~..¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨..~\$£
#@@§¤%=»:,                statuette                 ,:»=%¤§@@#
#%«,..¨..,                                          ,..¨..,«%#
&£*»,¨,,¨. *@**$§%$$£££@@§£~==~««~«%§*$&@$%@££§%£*£ .¨,,¨,»*£&
#@£#*%:«:.                %%£%§§%$&                 .:«:%*#£@#
£@¤*%^†«.¨                                          ¨.«†^%*¤@£
@§&£$%;~.¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨.~;%$£&§@
#£$§=~¨¨., pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ,.¨¨~=§$£#
##§:,-,.¨.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .¨.,-,:§##
#@¶§&%^=.. underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ..=^%&§¶@#
###£$†;»., is dark  and moist,  the  canopy  having ,.»;†$£###
#@#§%%=«^. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .^«=%%§#@#
#@¶£$$†=,.                                          .,=†$$£¶@#
####%%^«^¨ 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.              ,^~††£&@@#
@$^««..¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨..««^$@
#@¶§£%==,,                                          ,,==%£§¶@#
#@#¤%^^--,                                          ,--^^%¤#@#
&&£*=«¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨«=*£&&
#@¶£¤=;-~¨                                          ¨~-;=¤£¶@#
@†%^~¨¨,,.                                          .,,¨¨~^%†@