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