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