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