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