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