##¶§$§=~.,                                          ,.~=§$§¶##
##£&†^«^¨.                                          .¨^«^†&£##
#¤@==»,,,.                                          .,,,»==@¤#
¤@=*-.¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨.-*=@¤
$^\--,,.¨.                                          .¨.,,--\^$
@$§:~:¨,.¨                statuette                 ¨.,¨:~:§$@
¶#§^=-:¨.,                                          ,.¨:-=^§#¶
#£¤§†;-,.¨ *§%$&¤$%@$&%¤§*@~=-=~~=~%$¤*%£¤$$&$%$§$% ¨.,-;†§¤£#
##¶@§^;»,.                ££@%¤*%£&                 .,»;^§@¶##
#¶¤£%==-,.                                          .,-==%£¤¶#
@£$§/-:,,, 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. ,,¨,»†^£§@
#&=\~-.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.-~\=&#
$^:=~¨.¨¨,                     ^                    ,¨¨.¨~=:^$
£$$†»,.,.¨                                          ¨.,.,»†$$£
#@£$/»~¨., i am  not followed, and slow down in the ,.¨~»/$£@#
#£@@%\-:.¨ clearing where  you at  first  can  spot ¨.:-\%@@£#
##££*§/«:. the   house,  not  yet  really  in   the .:«/§*££##
#@£*=^-~¨¨ backyard. from  my pockets i retrieve my ¨¨~-^=*£@#
#§%%=»,,.¨ radio  (now dented)  but  also  a  small ¨.,,»=%%§#
#&§=~.,¨., clay  figure i've never seen before.  it ,.¨,.~=§&#
¤*=~,..¨.¨ must  have been  laying in the wet dirt, ¨.¨..,~=*¤
&%=*~-,,,, and  i  must've picked  it  up  with  my ,,,,-~*=%&
£§%%\~-..,             other belongings.            ,..-~\%%§£
#@#£%/~,,.                                          .,,~/%£#@#
##@#£§=«., it's a statuette  of a girl laying naked ,.«=§£#@##
#£¤@*=«,.¨ on   her  stomach,  feet   in  the  air, ¨.,«=*@¤£#
#&$*=~.¨,¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨,¨.~=*$&#
&$*=«^...¨ freshly made,  not yet completely dried. ¨...^«=*$&
@$;~:..¨..                                          ..¨..:~;$@
£%%==.,.,, my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some ,,.,.==%%£
@#£*:~~¨¨, particle board  for  it to  dry  on, but ,¨¨~~:*£#@
#£#*=\«~¨, she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ,¨~«\=*#£#
##@#£^=»..              throw it away.              ..»=^£#@##
#@&$$†=,¨.                                          .¨,=†$$&@#
£#$=^»~¨¨.                                          .¨¨~»^=$#£
@$†:«^¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨^«:†$@
@$†=-¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨-=†$@
§$†=~~...,                                          ,...~~=†$§
@@£=*=:,,.                                          .,,:=*=£@@