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