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