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