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