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