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