##@&*$;~.,                                          ,.~;$*&@##
@=»-«,,,.¨                                          ¨.,,,«-»=@
#@#¤¤%/~^¨                                          ¨^~/%¤¤#@#
§§£&%^†-,.                                          .,-†^%&£§§
@§£:~..,~¨                                          ¨~,..~:£§@
¤^%^%~~,,¨                 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 ,,«=§$£@@@
#@@#¤%=»-, she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to ,-»=%¤#@@#
#@@£§==~^¨              throw it away.              ¨^~==§£@@#
##@@¤^=«:¨                                          ¨:«=^¤@@##
#@&=.¨¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨¨.=&@#
£%$*:*~,,.                                          .,,~*:*$%£
@&^**;/=^,                                          ,^=/;**^&@
§£§\,¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨,\§£§
¶@:-¨.¨¨..                                          ..¨¨.¨-:@¶