###¤%%/=^,                                          ,^=/%%¤###
#@#%%*«^..                                          ..^«*%%#@#
¶¤£$=«,.,.                                          .,.,«=$£¤¶
#&%;«~.,¨.                                          .¨,.~«;%&#
#§@§/~:.¨.                                          .¨.:~/§@§#
@@&£$:-^,¨                 statuette                ¨,^-:$£&@@
###@*§/--¨                                          ¨--/§*@###
@££$%\=~.. £%*&&$%@&%§*£@&$-~~-»=»~*¤££$§$$§£$$£$*$ ..~=\%$££@
#&$§=~..,¨                @@£¤££§%*                 ¨,..~=§$&#
@£=†~,,.,,                                          ,,.,,~†=£@
@#£=^«,.,¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨,.,«^=£#@
#@¤**:«..¨ pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ¨..«:**¤@#
#@@££*;=-¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨-=;*££@@#
##@§$:«.., 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.              .-~\%§####
#¶&£=:=.¨,                                          ,¨.=:=£&¶#
#&¤%*=^.,¨                                          ¨,.^=*%¤&#
#$$†-,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,-†$$#
¶£$§^~~..,                                          ,..~~^§$£¶
#@§¤%;=^.¨                                          ¨.^=;%¤§@#
####*%†=,.                                          .,=†%*####