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