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