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