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