##@@*^:=.¨                                          ¨.=:^*@@##
§*-~=¨,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,¨=~-*§
##@§$=^~.,                                          ,.~^=$§@##
¤*†$%«-¨,¨                                          ¨,¨-«%$†*¤
#¤^%~.,¨,,                                          ,,¨,.~%^¤#
¶#§*=...¨¨                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. .¨¨,;/†^$§
£&†=~,¨¨..                                          ..¨¨,~=†&£
@&#*~-,.,. my mom  is here now. i ask her  for some .,.,-~*#&@
###&%==-^, particle  board  for it to  dry  on, but ,^-==%&###
###@££=\=, she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to ,=\=££@###
#¤%~.^..¨,              throw it away.              ,¨..^.~%¤#
#†«,.¨,,¨,                                          ,¨,,¨.,«†#
@#%;†==-^,                                          ,^-==†;%#@
#@£@¤%;»-,                                          ,-»;%¤@£@#
##@#&§\~:¨                                          ¨:~\§&#@##
@%^~¨.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.¨~^%@
£@@¤$†^=,¨                                          ¨,=^†$¤@@£