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