###£§†-^¨.                                          .¨^-†§£###
####$%=«-¨                                          ¨-«=%$####
#@#%**~.,,                                          ,,.~**%#@#
##$=\~-,.,                                          ,.,-~\=$##
¶%%=~-..,,                                          ,,..-~=%%¶
*§†~~.,,¨.                 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 .,-/=*####
#@@@$=«,¨.              throw it away.              .¨,«=$@@@#
@£@%†«^¨¨.                                          .¨¨^«†%@£@
@*=/~,¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨,~/=*@
%$/~~.....                                          .....~~/$%
§*=,..¨,.,                                          ,.,¨..,=*§
$§\«^,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,^«\§$
@§%=«.,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,.«=%§@