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