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