%*;»^,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,^»;*%
£¤%†~:¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨:~†%¤£
£§%$=«,.¨.                                          .¨.,«=$%§£
#£#¤%*=,.,                                          ,.,=*%¤#£#
##¶¤$*:»,,                                          ,,»:*$¤¶##
##¤@§=~...                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 ,.,..~=;$%
&%§\~-¨.., she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to ,..¨-~\§%&
@@&%:«,¨,,              throw it away.              ,,¨,«:%&@@
##¤$§;»~¨.                                          .¨~»;§$¤##
##@#$%:=^,                                          ,^=:%$#@##
#£§¤%/»,¨,                                          ,¨,»/%¤§£#
@&%$*-,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,-*$%&@
#$**-...¨,                                          ,¨...-**$#
$*†~,¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨,~†*$