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