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