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