£&£§*†=~,,                                          ,,~=†*§£&£
#@@#$*^-,¨                                          ¨,-^*$#@@#
##§§\,,.¨,                                          ,¨.,,\§§##
####%*:~^.                                          .^~:*%####
§%$$%;*-,.                                          .,-*;%$$%§
##@¤¤†\«-.                 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 ¨,~;†$§###
#£*^»..,..            other belongings.             ..,..»^*£#
#@¶#@%=»~.                                          .~»=%@#¶@#
##£&%†=~,¨ it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked ¨,~=†%&£##
#@%-^,¨.,. on  her   stomach,   feet  in  the  air, .,.¨,^-%@#
####%††«,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,«††%####
&#£%†%\~^. freshly made, not  yet completely dried. .^~\%†%£#&
¤&¤$§-,¨.,                                          ,.¨,-§$¤&¤
£%¤%^/~¨¨, my mom is  here now.  i ask her for some ,¨¨~/^%¤%£
###£§†\-:, particle board  for it  to dry  on,  but ,:-\†§£###
###£¤%*«,¨ she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ¨,«*%¤£###
##£#¤†^«-¨              throw it away.              ¨-«^†¤#£##
¶§§$§~.-.,                                          ,.-.~§$§§¶
#£¤££%;=~.                                          .~=;%££¤£#
##¶££*^-^,                                          ,^-^*££¶##
@%=~~.,,¨.                                          .¨,,.~~=%@
####$=^»,.                                          .,»^=$####
##@@$*\«,.                                          .,«\*$@@##