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