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