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