£#¤=\-¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨-\=¤#£
@@=;,,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,,;=@@
##@£$†=»..                                          ..»=†$£@##
§§/=«~,,,¨                                          ¨,,,~«=/§§
####§†=-,¨                                          ¨,-=†§####
#@#¤*$=~,¨                statuette                 ¨,~=$*¤#@#
@£%=~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~=%£@
#@%*§;,.¨. $&¤&£%$£&£@*&%*%==-~-~«~§%*$%&£&&%£$$*%% .¨.,;§*%@#
####%%==-,                %§$$&§§$*                 ,-==%%####
###¶@†*~^,                                          ,^~*†@¶###
##@@£%*=~. forests around my childhood home.  thick .~=*%£@@##
##@¤*%†»-, pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ,-»†%*¤@##
##@@&*\»,.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .,»\*&@@##
##£¤&=:~.¨ underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ¨.~:=&¤£##
#@£££$=-,¨ 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.              ,.=;%¤#@##
##&=~=¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨=~=&##
###@$%;»,.                                          .,»;%$@###
###¶@*\«,¨                                          ¨,«\*@¶###
@##£@*/~-¨                                          ¨-~/*@£##@
#¤#=»¨¨...                                          ...¨¨»=#¤#
##@§¤§==:¨                                          ¨:==§¤§@##