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