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