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