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