£¤$:«..¨,,                                          ,,¨..«:$¤£
@@£§*~^.,¨                                          ¨,.^~*§£@@
#@@££\«.¨,                                          ,¨.«\££@@#
####@%:»..                                          ..»:%@####
#@@&%=~~,,                                          ,,~~=%&@@#
###§/«.¨,.                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 ..,,,.,»\£
&$*~,.¨.¨. she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to .¨.¨.,~*$&
#@$=~,¨.¨,              throw it away.              ,¨.¨,~=$@#
##&$\«.,,,                                          ,,,.«\$&##
##@#§=«,¨¨                                          ¨¨,«=§#@##
####&£†«-¨                                          ¨-«†£&####
#@££@=«:¨¨                                          ¨¨:«=@££@#
@¶§§\«,.,,                                          ,,.,«\§§¶@
@&£*-,¨,..                                          ..,¨,-*£&@