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