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