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