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