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