#$=^;,,~¨.                                          .¨~,,;^=$#
§£§§=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=§§£§
§$%†»~,...                                          ...,~»†%$§
#@¶&&=†=~,                                          ,~=†=&&¶@#
@§*»-.¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨.-»*§@
##£@¤^;«-¨                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. ,,.,,*&&§#
#¶@*^:«-..                                          ..-«:^*@¶#
###&$%\«^, my mom  is here now. i ask her  for some ,^«\%$&###
##§$¤^;«,. particle  board for it to  dry  on,  but .,«;^¤$§##
#@@@$†^«,. she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to .,«^†$@@@#
##£@$$†-,.              throw it away.              .,-†$$@£##
#@#@@$^=:,                                          ,:=^$@@#@#
##&@***«-.                                          .-«***@&##
@@†~~~.,¨,                                          ,¨,.~~~†@@
&$*£¤=;-:¨                                          ¨:-;=¤£*$&
#@¤*&%\«:.                                          .:«\%&*¤@#
#§†^»:,.¨,                                          ,¨.,:»^†§#