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