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