#†=\=.¨,.,                                          ,.,¨.=\=†#
##@£*%\~-,                                          ,-~\%*£@##
#@#§§*^-.¨                                          ¨.-^*§§#@#
##%«.¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨.«%##
£§†%==/»-.                                          .-»/==%†§£
@§£%~=-~.,                 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. ,,«/$$§@##
#§$;»,.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.,»;$§#
#@@§£%/».,                     ^                    ,.»/%£§@@#
@¶£§£$^~^.                                          .^~^$£§£¶@
##@¤¤§†«,. i am not followed, and slow down  in the .,«†§¤¤@##
#§£@$^†~,¨ clearing where you  at  first  can  spot ¨,~†^$@£§#
#¶@£¤$^«~¨ the  house,  not  yet  really   in   the ¨~«^$¤£@¶#
#@#§%%*»:. backyard. from my pockets i retrieve  my .:»*%%§#@#
@£&$;»-=,. radio  (now  dented)  but also  a  small .,=-»;$&£@
##@£&%*«,. clay  figure i've  never seen before. it .,«*%&£@##
##¶@¤§^«~¨ must have  been laying in the wet  dirt, ¨~«^§¤@¶##
£%==-,..¨¨ and i  must've  picked  it  up  with  my ¨¨..,-==%£
#£¤^-,,.,¨             other belongings.            ¨,.,,-^¤£#
#@¶§@^;-,,                                          ,,-;^@§¶@#
@££§§%;~-, it's a statuette of a girl laying  naked ,-~;%§§££@
&#%$^=:¨.. on  her  stomach,  feet  in   the   air, ..¨:=^$%#&
@##^:».,,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,,.»:^##@
@£§/;~.,,, freshly made, not  yet completely dried. ,,,.~;/§£@
#@\-¨,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,¨-\@#
#@**§~-,.. my mom  is here now. i ask her  for some ..,-~§**@#
#%/~...,,. particle board  for it to  dry  on,  but .,,...~/%#
##£§£§*«~, she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to ,~«*§£§£##
#¶@££$=«,,              throw it away.              ,,«=$££@¶#
##@¤$$^»:.                                          .:»^$$¤@##
#@@&§†\~,.                                          .,~\†§&@@#
#@@¤*§^~,.                                          .,~^§*¤@@#
#@§$^/,.,.                                          .,.,/^$§@#
¶&†=:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:=†&¶
@§§\\,,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,,\\§§@