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