¤&†.~~.,.,                                          ,.,.~~.†&¤
&%=~...¨.¨                                          ¨.¨...~=%&
##£§;;^»^¨                                          ¨^»^;;§£##
##£¤$§*«,¨                                          ¨,«*§$¤£##
@¤†-»,.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.,»-†¤@
££^=»~.,..                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 ,^»;%§£###
###@$%†»,, she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ,,»†%$@###
@¤&%$~^.¨.              throw it away.              .¨.^~$%&¤@
#@#&%$=~^,                                          ,^~=$%&#@#
##¶¤$*:~.,                                          ,.~:*$¤¶##
###@¤%^\~-                                          -~\^%¤@###
&@$».¨...,                                          ,...¨.»$@&
##@¤¤^\»:¨                                          ¨:»\^¤¤@##
##¶@*^;»,.                                          .,»;^*@¶##