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