&%~.,¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨,.~%&
###¤&=\»-,                                          ,-»\=&¤###
###¤@§^~~¨                                          ¨~~^§@¤###
@£¤^-..¨,,                                          ,,¨..-^¤£@
##@@%*\-,¨                                          ¨,-\*%@@##
##@¤§$\~^¨                 statuette                ¨^~\$§¤@##
###@¤§:~:¨                                          ¨:~:§¤@###
#%^§:~~-,¨ ¤%$*$%&§$$§$¤£$&~«~~-~~»$£$%¤§£$&@$$£@$$ ¨,-~~:§^%#
###£@¤^-~¨                %%$%%$%&&                 ¨~-^¤@£###
¶££%:~:^.,                                          ,.^:~:%££¶
#@#@%**-,, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,,-**%@#@#
#§£^*:^¨,. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and .,¨^:*^£§#
§#§¤¤%==^¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨^==%¤¤§#§
#@¶¤$§\--, underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it ,--\§$¤¶@#
##$=-^.¨,, is  dark  and  moist, the  canopy having ,,¨.^-=$##
&$-««~..., already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,...~««-$&
@*†\,.....                                          .....,\†*@
@###£§*=,¨ there's  a river passing  by,  from east ¨,=*§£###@
#@*†~-==~¨ to west, getting broader and deeper  and ¨~==-~†*@#
#@#&£%:~,¨ slower  as it goes. equisetum grow  just ¨,~:%£&#@#
#&§^/-.,¨. where   the  pine  hands  start  to  let .¨,.-/^§&#
#@#¤$$^-.. 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 .,~^=$£###
££&*/=\»,¨              throw it away.              ¨,»\=/*&££
##@#*†\-^,                                          ,^-\†*#@##
##@#$%\=~,                                          ,~=\%$#@##
##@@&%/-^.                                          .^-/%&@@##
§%=^^.¨,..                                          ..,¨.^^=%§
&@†=«»-.,,                                          ,,.-»«=†@&
####§£§†-.                                          .-†§£§####