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