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