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