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