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