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