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