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