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