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