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