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