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