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