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