#§*~~.,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,.~~*§#
¤¤%*»,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,»*%¤¤
&@=†^~,.¨,                                          ,¨.,~^†=@&
#&$=:*/=,¨                                          ¨,=/*:=$&#
@##¤%^==~,                                          ,~==^%¤##@
@##§%*:»~,                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 ¨..^-»%^£#
###£%$\~:. she   is   worried   and  wants  me   to .:~\$%£###
£&^;^:,...              throw it away.              ...,:^;^&£
##@£$^:~:¨                                          ¨:~:^$£@##
¶@&§=«,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,«=§&@¶
¶#@&&$^~,,                                          ,,~^$&&@#¶
¶¤$=--.,.,                                          ,.,.--=$¤¶
£§;»,.,.,¨                                          ¨,.,.,»;§£
@&§$$$^«^¨                                          ¨^«^$$$§&@