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