##££@%^~:.                                          .:~^%@££##
###§%%;~..                                          ..~;%%§###
£¤¤^%*\-:.                                          .:-\*%^¤¤£
#@#@&*=«,.                                          .,«=*&@#@#
£¤%$~,.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.,~$%¤£
££#@$%*«:¨                statuette                 ¨:«*%$@#££
####@%:»,.                                          .,»:%@####
@&£^^-,,., %&££$&%%*§$§$$@¤««»=~-~~*§$%%%%§¤@$*$@¤¤ ,.,,-^^£&@
##@@***»-,                 *%£$%§%%§                ,-»***@@##
##¶&§*^»,¨                                          ¨,»^*§&¶##
@&%=%^,.¨. forests around my  childhood home. thick .¨.,^%=%&@
###§$§;~,¨ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ¨,~;§$§###
#†^:,,,,¨¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨¨,,,,:^†#
##@&%%^-.¨ underneath, sniffing at the  ground.  it ¨.-^%%&@##
###&£*/».. is  dark  and moist, the  canopy  having ..»/*£&###
##¶¤*^^~,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,~^^*¤¶##
##£¤@§†«,.                                          .,«†§@¤£##
@#¤/«»^^.. there's  a  river passing  by, from east ..^^»«/¤#@
@@¤§~~~.., to west, getting broader  and deeper and ,..~~~§¤@@
@§**%=~.¨. slower  as it  goes. equisetum grow just .¨.~=%**§@
@##§*$/~,¨ where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let ¨,~/$*§##@
##£#*†\~:. through light,  horsemint  on the  rocky .:~\†*#£##
£=;\=¨.,,.                river bed.                .,,.¨=\;=£
@#¶&&§^«,.                                          .,«^§&&¶#@
§$^%==:-..                     :                    ..-:==%^$§
@&@&%*^~,,                                          ,,~^*%&@&@
#§&*$§^~:¨ the  riverbanks reek  of  magic. tonight ¨:~^§$*&§#
¤^«:-¨,.¨, they had  been a swampworld with  sylvan ,¨.,¨-:«^¤
#&%^-~.,,. water, stone rings  and  floating  moss. .,,.~-^%&#
§$%/-,.,,¨ you  could've found me wallowing  around ¨,,.,-/%$§
#=†»,,¨.,, on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,,.¨,,»†=#
#@*«¨¨¨¨..                  bitten.                 ..¨¨¨¨«*@#
#¤@§§^*~^,                                          ,^~*^§§@¤#
#@##£§:-,. but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid .,-:§£##@#
##@#$$†~,, 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.              ¨:»/%&¤###
¶@§@%*^=:¨                                          ¨:=^*%@§@¶
@#§$\*,:.,                                          ,.:,*\$§#@
#£$^-=¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨=-^$£#
@##¤@^=-,¨                                          ¨,-=^@¤##@
#%&%/~,.,,                                          ,,.,~/%&%#
##@*\†^~.,                                          ,.~^†\*@##