##&%$=«,~¨                                          ¨~,«=$%&##
#@£§§†^»-,                                          ,-»^†§§£@#
§§**:†-¨,,                                          ,,¨-†:**§§
#@##*=:~,¨                                          ¨,~:=*##@#
###&&§=«,,                                          ,,«=§&&###
###@%†\=,.                 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 ,.,,,-~$§#
###@%§^~,, particle board  for  it to dry  on,  but ,,~^§%@###
##@&§^†«^¨ she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ¨^«†^§&@##
####&=;~.¨              throw it away.              ¨.~;=&####
#$*»,.¨..,                                          ,..¨.,»*$#
##@¤%$;~-.                                          .-~;$%¤@##
###@$§/«~¨                                          ¨~«/§$@###
##¶#$†==,.                                          .,==†$#¶##
@#@@§†;~..                                          ..~;†§@@#@
@##£$**=~¨                                          ¨~=**$£##@