#§@§=^.¨,,                                          ,,¨.^=§@§#
##££@†=«..                                          ..«=†@££##
@@%†=/=-~.                                          .~-=/=†%@@
@##&$$\--,                                          ,--\$$&##@
@@†\=~.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.~=\†@@
##*-¨,.,,,                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 ¨.===$@@##
###&¤*\-.¨ she  is   worried   and   wants   me  to ¨.-\*¤&###
##@@¤§;-,,              throw it away.              ,,-;§¤@@##
##@@£*;~^¨                                          ¨^~;*£@@##
###¤%$/-.,                                          ,.-/$%¤###
@@¶¤£*†=,¨                                          ¨,=†*£¤¶@@
#@@£$%*«:.                                          .:«*%$£@@#
@##£*^:-^.                                          .^-:^*£##@
&§:,:.,...                                          ...,.:,:§&