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