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