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