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