££*§/«-¨,.                                          .,¨-«/§*££
#£%/~.,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,.~/%£#
£&§*;-,¨.,                                          ,.¨,-;*§&£
##@§†=~~¨.                                          .¨~~=†§@##
##¶&@†/»,,                                          ,,»/†@&¶##
#£&£§^=,¨¨                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. ¨,,¨,«^=$¤
@¤¤**=-,¨¨                                          ¨¨,-=**¤¤@
#@§%^†-~,, my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some ,,~-†^%§@#
####¤*^»,¨ particle board  for it  to  dry  on, but ¨,»^*¤####
###§%†=^¨. she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to .¨^=†%§###
#££*;~:¨¨¨              throw it away.              ¨¨¨:~;*££#
§$*^~,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,~^*$§
£#§%/=,,¨,                                          ,¨,,=/%§#£
##&§*/«..¨                                          ¨..«/*§&##
##£¤$§;-:¨                                          ¨:-;§$¤£##
#@@¤*;=...                                          ...=;*¤@@#
#£¤*\«^¨..                                          ..¨^«\*¤£#