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