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