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