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