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