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