##¤^;»,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,»;^¤##
#@#£*;-:¨,                                          ,¨:-;*£#@#
###££%;~,¨                                          ¨,~;%££###
@#££===,¨¨                                          ¨¨,===££#@
##@§*-.,.,                                          ,.,.-*§@##
#%†^~^.¨.,                 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 ,,¨,¨¨,-=§
£$*-^,,¨., particle board  for  it  to dry on,  but ,.¨,,^-*$£
@$$†-,.¨,¨ she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to ¨,¨.,-†$$@
#§$$^-:¨¨.              throw it away.              .¨¨:-^$$§#
##¤%††»^¨.                                          .¨^»††%¤##
##¶§§^=~^.                                          .^~=^§§¶##
@@¤%†:~:,.                                          .,:~:†%¤@@
#£&§*»^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^»*§&£#
§§†*=...¨¨                                          ¨¨...=*†§§
£$\~,,,,¨.                                          .¨,,,,~\$£