@¶§£%$:»,.                                          .,»:$%£§¶@
@#$/-,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,-/$#@
@£%=«¨..¨.                                          .¨..¨«=%£@
#£&==:~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~:==&£#
##&$=^..,.                                          .,..^=$&##
&¤$@%=:~:¨                 statuette                ¨:~:=%@$¤&
#@@#£=:~.,                                          ,.~:=£#@@#
####@§§--, $@@%§$%$§¤¤§¤*¤$-«»~-»-«£§&%$££¤%%¤$@$£& ,--§§@####
#¶£$$§\»~,                 *%$£*&%$§                ,~»\§$$£¶#
##¶¤¤=^--.                                          .--^=¤¤¶##
§=:=¨,,¨,¨ 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 .-~/*$£#@#
@£%«-~=».. she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ..»=~-«%£@
£&%/,.¨¨,.              throw it away.              .,¨¨.,/%&£
##@@%%†--¨                                          ¨--†%%@@##
##@#$†:=~¨                                          ¨~=:†$#@##
##@#&$/»:¨                                          ¨:»/$&#@##
¶¶£¤%=;~.,                                          ,.~;=%¤£¶¶
¶@££$%:~~,                                          ,~~:%$££@¶
#@%%:,,..¨                                          ¨..,,:%%@#