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