##¶#§=/~^¨                                          ¨^~/=§#¶##
##¤$=^«-.¨                                          ¨.-«^=$¤##
@&$*\=...,                                          ,...=\*$&@
#@£%*=~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~=*%£@#
##¶¤%††-:.                                          .:-††%¤¶##
##£$†*»^.¨                 statuette                ¨.^»*†$£##
¶§$%^-,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,-^%$§¶
##£$$^-~,, %*$£&$£§%@§%£$¤%»«~~-~=»££%$£¤%§&§§*£%&£ ,,~-^$$£##
##£¤£==~.,                ££££%@%§*                 ,.~==£¤£##
#¶££$\«~,.                                          .,~«\$££¶#
£§**^«,¨,¨ 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 .¨,~~:§%&#
#¶£$%/~,¨, she   is   worried  and  wants   me   to ,¨,~/%$£¶#
###&%$/«,,              throw it away.              ,,«/$%&###
#@§&**~~,¨                                          ¨,~~**&§@#
#£**=~-,,¨                                          ¨,,-~=**£#
#@¤&$==:¨,                                          ,¨:==$&¤@#
##@&§$^--¨                                          ¨--^$§&@##
#¶&$†^~~,,                                          ,,~~^†$&¶#
¶§£=†~:..¨                                          ¨..:~†=£§¶