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