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