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