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