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