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