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