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