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