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