#@##@%:--¨                                          ¨--:%@##@#
##@&$†;«,.                                          .,«;†$&@##
¶#£%:=†~:,                                          ,:~†=:%£#¶
¶@*.^¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨^.*@¶
#@@#$$;«..                                          ..«;$$#@@#
##@&$**-^¨                 statuette                ¨^-**$&@##
#@%£\:.¨,,                                          ,,¨.:\£%@#
###£%*^«,¨ $££%£¤$$£¤%£&§*$--«-~~~=§**@§@§&%%£¤&£@* ¨,«^*%£###
##££¤=\»-.                 %$$&¤$£$¤                .-»\=¤££##
@#$%;/,,,,                                          ,,,,/;%$#@
###&$††-.¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨.-††$&###
£&$*£*:»:, pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and ,:»:*£*$&£
#$$*†*:-¨.       forgotten. wild boars roaming      .¨-:*†*$$#
##@§$==~~¨ underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ¨~~==$§@##
#@@#$^;~., is dark  and  moist, the  canopy  having ,.~;^$#@@#
##@¤%$*«,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,«*$%¤@##
#¶#§¤†\--.                                          .--\†¤§#¶#
@%$%††--.¨ there's  a  river  passing by, from east ¨.--††%$%@
###¤$%*»~. to west, getting broader  and deeper and .~»*%$¤###
@#¤/~.,¨¨. 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.              ,¨,^-.^£¤#
§#¤=*~,.,,                                          ,,.,~*=¤#§
#@@¤¤§*~^,                                          ,^~*§¤¤@@#
#@£@£==«~.                                          .~«==£@£@#
&^^.,¨..¨,                                          ,¨..¨,.^^&
##@%\:¨..¨                                          ¨..¨:\%@##
@#£&¤%\~.¨                                          ¨.~\%¤&£#@