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