##@&£=\»-,                                          ,-»\=£&@##
#£#$††~-¨,                                          ,¨-~††$#£#
#£$†\=~..¨                                          ¨..~=\†$£#
#%=;«-...¨                                          ¨...-«;=%#
&*=-,,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,,-=*&
§£==-,,,.,                 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 ¨¨.,,»*$%@
¶@@^†~^,,¨ particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but ¨,,^~†^@@¶
#¶&@†:-,., she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ,.,-:†@&¶#
##@#£*^»-,              throw it away.              ,-»^*£#@##
#@#%%\~..¨                                          ¨..~\%%#@#
@&§*:-,...                                          ...,-:*§&@
&$%=».¨...                                          ...¨.»=%$&
@$*~:..,.,                                          ,.,..:~*$@
#§$:«^.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.^«:$§#
#¤$†/-:,,¨                                          ¨,,:-/†$¤#