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