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