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