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