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