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