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