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