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