#$§~~,.,,.                                          .,,.,~~§$#
##£§§%;=:¨                                          ¨:=;%§§£##
£¶%*:.,,.¨                                          ¨.,,.:*%¶£
@&§=,,:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:,,=§&@
#@¶£$*†~^¨                                          ¨^~†*$£¶@#
#@¶#§††~:.                 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 ..¨¨.=%$#£
£§%=†~:,¨¨ particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but ¨¨,:~†=%§£
##@¤§†/»:. she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to .:»/†§¤@##
###§%%\~,.              throw it away.              .,~\%%§###
§†=%%=^¨..                                          ..¨^=%%=†§
¶$%;..,,¨,                                          ,¨,,..;%$¶
##@¤@*:=-.                                          .-=:*@¤@##
@#£$$*=-:.                                          .:-=*$$£#@
#@@@$%;~~,                                          ,~~;%$@@@#
@£¤£$*/=^,                                          ,^=/*$£¤£@