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