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