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