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