£*%*»-.,,¨                                          ¨,,.-»*%*£
#@*=†~:¨,,                                          ,,¨:~†=*@#
##££*†«,..                                          ..,«†*££##
###@%=;~.¨                                          ¨.~;=%@###
##@¤^†-:,¨                                          ¨,:-†^¤@##
@#$%:~,.¨,                 statuette                ,¨.,~:%$#@
@&%\-.,,,¨                                          ¨,,,.-\%&@
%^\~,,,.., ££@¤£@&$*%£@$%$@~«~~»«-~£%@%&@$£%£$$¤$*& ,..,,,~\^%
¶¤*†»^,¨.¨                 &&$&*@*£¤                ¨.¨,^»†*¤¶
#££§*~-.¨,                                          ,¨.-~*§££#
###§^*-~., forests around  my childhood home. thick ,.~-*^§###
###@$%;~-. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and .-~;%$@###
###@%:~^,¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨,^~:%@###
#@%$:~,.,¨ underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it ¨,.,~:$%@#
@*†^=.,.,, is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having ,,.,.=^†*@
£†=~^¨¨.,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,.¨¨^~=†£
#§%\~-.,,,                                          ,,,.-~\%§#
#@£%*~,..¨ there's  a  river passing by,  from east ¨..,~*%£@#
#@@§%:=,¨. to west, getting  broader and deeper and .¨,=:%§@@#
####*$^~,. slower  as it goes. equisetum grow  just .,~^$*####
#@#$$\«,.¨ 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.              .,,.~=*^@£
#¶*===^.¨.                                          .¨.^===*¶#
###%%/»,,.                                          .,,»/%%###
##@#$$;--¨                                          ¨--;$$#@##
###£%/~:,,                                          ,,:~/%£###
@@@^/=,...                                          ...,=/^@@@
@@=^-,,,,.                                          .,,,,-^=@@