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