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