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