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