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