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