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