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