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