£%§*~,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,~*§%£
@&%=~,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,~=%&@
#£&¤^~,.,¨                                          ¨,.,~^¤&£#
£§%%^\\«..                                          ..«\\^%%§£
#¶@#@^*~^¨                                          ¨^~*^@#@¶#
£&$£*==«,.                 statuette                .,«==*£$&£
£%*:-,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,-:*%£
##@§§*:-,, $$%$%£¤$$$¤%*$§*»===-«--&¤$%$$££&%£§$§££ ,,-:*§§@##
@#@@£§/«,¨                 ¤¤££$&&$%                ¨,«/§£@@#@
#@£@$**»-,                                          ,-»**$@£@#
##§§§-=,¨, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,¨,=-§§§##
##£££§†-^, pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ,^-†§£££##
#&%§=†,.,.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .,.,†=§%&#
@*^=,,¨,,¨ underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it ¨,,¨,,=^*@
#@¶&£*^~., is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having ,.~^*£&¶@#
££¤£&††»,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,»††&£¤££
£££*=.^-.¨                                          ¨.-^.=*£££
##@£$^:=~, 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.              .:~^†*&¶@#
##£#¤%†~:.                                          .:~†%¤#£##
@@¤==¨..,¨                                          ¨,..¨==¤@@
#¤%:*^,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,^*:%¤#
###&*$*-,.                                          .,-*$*&###
##£¤¤$:~..                                          ..~:$¤¤£##
##@@%†;«.,                                          ,.«;†%@@##