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