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