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