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