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