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