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