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