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