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