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