#@§*^*=«,.                                          .,«=*^*§@#
##£@§%:-,¨                                          ¨,-:%§@£##
£††~,¨,.,¨                                          ¨,.,¨,~††£
@¤==~.¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨.~==¤@
@@#§@*;»-¨                                          ¨-»;*@§#@@
§$%=,¨,.,,                statuette                 ,,.,¨,=%$§
##@#@%\»:¨                                          ¨:»\%@#@##
@§*†=,,,¨¨ ££&£§%%£¤¤§&*%£§-««=~»~~*$£@§¤%§§£££$%¤* ¨¨,,,=†*§@
##@££%\»,.                ¤£*&$££$£                 .,»\%££@##
@@%»~=--.¨                                          ¨.--=~»%@@
§@$\~«¨..¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨..¨«~\$@§
¶@&*~¨,,¨, pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ,¨,,¨~*&@¶
#&#=«.¨..¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨..¨.«=#&#
@&&†:«~¨,. underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it .,¨~«:†&&@
@##@*§^=,¨ is dark  and moist,  the  canopy  having ¨,=^§*@##@
#@@§§$:=,¨ 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. ¨,¨,¨~=$%@
###£§£=*-:                                          :-*=£§£###
##¶#£§†~~, my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some ,~~†§£#¶##
#@§~,¨,.., particle board for  it  to dry  on,  but ,..,¨,~§@#
#@#§&^:=.. she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to ..=:^&§#@#
&§/.--,¨,¨              throw it away.              ¨,¨,--./§&
#@#¤%*=»~¨                                          ¨~»=*%¤#@#
###£$%\-.,                                          ,.-\%$£###
###@$^\~^.                                          .^~\^$@###
#&#%£§*-.,                                          ,.-*§£%#&#
@@@&$†=«^¨                                          ¨^«=†$&@@@
####*†/-:¨                                          ¨:-/†*####