###¤@§\~.¨                                          ¨.~\§@¤###
@&=-¨¨...,                                          ,...¨¨-=&@
#&#£%^;~,¨                                          ¨,~;^%£#&#
####£%†-^¨                                          ¨^-†%£####
@§¤%~,:,¨¨                                          ¨¨,:,~%¤§@
###@$§†~^.                statuette                 .^~†§$@###
##¶¤$=:»..                                          ..»:=$¤¶##
##@#**^--¨ $§$$§%§%%¤$¤&*£§=~~=»«~«$$$§%$@%@¤%£$&%& ¨--^**#@##
££†:,.,¨¨,                @%*£¤*&¤%                 ,¨¨,.,:†££
##£§$=:=~.                                          .~=:=$§£##
#@#&$^==:¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨:==^$&#@#
&†^†«...,¨ 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.              ,^-†*&§###
£¤:»«--,.,                                          ,.,--«»:¤£
¤¤§¤*%*«:¨                                          ¨:«*%*¤§¤¤
@@¤$†:-.¨,                                          ,¨.-:†$¤@@
£#&£=^=.,.                                          .,.=^=£&#£
@#@&$=/~:.                                          .:~/=$&@#@
@@&:~.¨...                                          ...¨.~:&@@