###¤£**-:¨                                          ¨:-**£¤###
@^†~~¨¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨¨~~†^@
#@#§¤*:-^¨                                          ¨^-:*¤§#@#
§=§^-,....                                          ....,-^§=§
##¶§$%/~..                                          ..~/%$§¶##
##£§$%\~:¨                statuette                 ¨:~\%$§£##
##@¤%^:»~.                                          .~»:^%¤@##
¶£§*\«¨,., %%%£££%¤%£@%%%£$-«~«~~-~@%£££§*%*§%£%¤$$ ,.,¨«\*§£¶
#*%=~¨,¨¨,                 $%**$&§%£                ,¨¨,¨~=%*#
####%§;~~.                                          .~~;§%####
@¤$£%$*~~¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨~~*$%£$¤@
£*&==~,¨,¨ pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ¨,¨,~==&*£
##@#@&\=,,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,,=\&@#@##
@*§=«-,¨.¨ underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ¨.¨,-«=§*@
¶&@%~-,:.¨ is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having ¨.:,-~%@&¶
#@#§&$:-,, already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,,-:$&§#@#
#&*=.,,...                                          ...,,.=*&#
££&†;~¨,¨, there's a  river passing  by,  from east ,¨,¨~;†&££
##@@&*^~-. to west, getting  broader and deeper and .-~^*&@@##
@##¤£=^«,. slower as it goes.  equisetum grow  just .,«^=£¤##@
@@@¤%^;-,¨ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ¨,-;^%¤@@@
#@@&@=†~^¨ through  light, horsemint  on  the rocky ¨^~†=@&@@#
##@§£^*=,¨                river bed.                ¨,=*^£§@##
#@@@%*†-,.                                          .,-†*%@@@#
#@#§%*/~~¨                     =                    ¨~~/*%§#@#
@=§*%§*=~.                                          .~=*§%*§=@
#@†\=«^¨¨. the  riverbanks reek of  magic.  tonight .¨¨^«=\†@#
#@#&%$;«,. they had been a  swampworld with  sylvan .,«;$%&#@#
@@@££%†«^, water,  stone  rings and floating  moss. ,^«†%££@@@
#&$†~,¨¨.¨ you could've found me  wallowing  around ¨.¨¨,~†$&#
##@#£%:»~, on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,~»:%£#@##
#@#§@§^-~.                 bitten.                  .~-^§@§#@#
&@&§£§;~.¨                                          ¨.~;§£§&@&
##££&%\«,¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨,«\%&££##
##¶&%*:-:, ground, in  shoulder-high grass, with an ,:-:*%&¶##
£#@$~,¨¨,¨ orange  tin  radio  and  a   translucent ¨,¨¨,~$@#£
£$$$†$*-..      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ..-*$†$$$£
@@@§£†:»,¨                                          ¨,»:†£§@@@
#@@§&$^=,.                     *                    .,=^$&§@@#
¶£&§$††=^,                                          ,^=††$§&£¶
##@¤£§*«.¨ 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.              .:«/§$§@@#
##@#§$^«~,                                          ,~«^$§#@##
#@@@£^;«.¨                                          ¨.«;^£@@@#
##&£@=\~,¨                                          ¨,~\=@£&##
#@¶£$%;~..                                          ..~;%$£¶@#
#*\:^.,,¨,                                          ,¨,,.^:\*#
¶%%*-««:.,                                          ,.:««-*%%¶