££%$§;=~^¨                                          ¨^~=;§$%££
#@¶§§§\=^.                                          .^=\§§§¶@#
#@@¤¤*^»^¨                                          ¨^»^*¤¤@@#
#&^~-»¨,.,                                          ,.,¨»-~^&#
§§§»~,.¨..                                          ..¨.,~»§§§
#@#@¤**«:,                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 ¨^:,~†=$#¶
#%~~~,,¨.¨ on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, ¨.¨,,~~~%#
#@£#@%\-,,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,,-\%@#£@#
##@#§*^~^¨ freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ¨^~^*§#@##
###@$††--.                                          .--††$@###
##*¤&%†~~¨ my mom is here now. i  ask her  for some ¨~~†%&¤*##
####£**::. particle  board  for it to dry  on,  but .::**£####
##¶&%†\-,¨ she   is   worried   and   wants  me  to ¨,-\†%&¶##
##%*;..,¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨,..;*%##
§£§;;~~«,,                                          ,,«~~;;§£§
£##@**†=^.                                          .^=†**@##£
##@&$%=»:¨                                          ¨:»=%$&@##
#@¤£*$\~..                                          ..~\$*£¤@#
#@@@§$/-^¨                                          ¨^-/$§@@@#
##£#%$\~^¨                                          ¨^~\$%#£##