#@¤*$*«,.¨                                          ¨.,«*$*¤@#
####§%^«.¨                                          ¨.«^%§####
##§@=†~~.¨                                          ¨.~~†=@§##
@@£^*»-,.,                                          ,.,-»*^£@@
¤@*=«.,,..                                          ..,,.«=*@¤
$%;~~.¨¨,,                 statuette                ,,¨¨.~~;%$
§£%†»:¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨:»†%£§
#&$=\«,... ¤&%%*¤§§£¤@§£%£$=~~»---~¤¤$*¤@$&££*$%&*$ ...,«\=$&#
#@@£^:=:..                %$$*$%§%¤                 ..:=:^£@@#
###@¤*=«.¨                                          ¨.«=*¤@###
##§$**-,¨, forests around my childhood home.  thick ,¨,-**$§##
#&£%*~,¨,¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨,¨,~*%£&#
£§==»-..¨.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .¨..-»==§£
*%/«~,¨¨.¨ underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it ¨.¨¨,~«/%*
@&*\~...¨¨ is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having ¨¨...~\*&@
#§*†^»...¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨...»^†*§#
##§£%;~,¨,                                          ,¨,~;%£§##
###&@^/=,, there's  a river passing  by, from  east ,,=/^@&###
#@££§^~^.¨ to west, getting  broader and deeper and ¨.^~^§££@#
@&$†:-,¨.¨ slower as  it  goes. equisetum grow just ¨.¨,-:†$&@
£$*/~:¨.,. where  the  pine   hands  start  to  let .,.¨:~/*$£
£*=«^,.,,¨ through  light, horsemint  on the  rocky ¨,,.,^«=*£
£$†^~,¨,,,                river bed.                ,,,¨,~^†$£
@§&%=-:,..                                          ..,:-=%&§@
##§&$;~^,,                    =                     ,,^~;$&§##
##@#£$:-~.                                          .~-:$£#@##
##&£†\«^,¨ the  riverbanks reek  of magic.  tonight ¨,^«\†£&##
#¤§^^«.¨¨, they  had been a  swampworld with sylvan ,¨¨.«^^§¤#
£*%=»-¨,.. water, stone  rings and  floating  moss. ..,¨-»=%*£
@§†=,,¨.¨. you  could've found me  wallowing around .¨.¨,,=†§@
¤$%:«:,¨,¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨,¨,:«:%$¤
#§*%/»,¨..                  bitten.                 ..¨,»/%*§#
##¤$§;«,¨.                                          .¨,«;§$¤##
##@#%*^=,, but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ,,=^*%#@##
##££**=,¨. ground, in  shoulder-high grass, with an .¨,=**££##
@¤$%†~.,,, orange  tin  radio   and  a  translucent ,,,.~†%$¤@
@**;»,.,,,      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ,,,.,»;**@
£=:».,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,.»:=£
£%^^«,¨,¨.                    †                     .¨,¨,«^^%£
#&¤*==,,.¨                                          ¨.,,==*¤&#
##§$$;»,¨¨ 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.              ¨,^-*†¤£##
###&%*/-,¨                                          ¨,-/*%&###
###$††-,,.                                          .,,-††$###
@#£*†~...¨                                          ¨...~†*£#@
&&=\».,.¨,                                          ,¨.,.»\=&&
&$*«:..¨..                                          ..¨..:«*$&
§*%*»:.,,¨                                          ¨,,.:»*%*§