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