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