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