&§*/-^¨¨..                                          ..¨¨^-/*§&
#¤*†:~,..,                                          ,..,~:†*¤#
##§§†*=.,,                                          ,,.=*†§§##
###§&=^=.¨                                          ¨.=^=&§###
#@&***~,¨,                                          ,¨,~***&@#
#£$*;~~..¨                statuette                 ¨..~~;*$£#
@$†;~,,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,,~;†$@
$§^~:,.... §£@££$%$£@%%%%$£~»««»--~&%%%&¤§£*%$*¤£$¤ ....,:~^§$
£%%\-,¨,..                ££&$£&§$&                 ..,¨,-\%%£
#£&%*=,.,.                                          .,.,=*%&£#
###&$^~,,, forests  around my childhood home. thick ,,,~^$&###
###§£†=~., 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.              ,,,,.«=%@&
@@%*†=,,.,                                          ,.,,=†*%@@
#@@$§^«:,.                                          .,:«^§$@@#
####&^==,.                                          .,==^&####
#@£¤%;«~¨.                                          .¨~«;%¤£@#
#¤*%^-,,,¨                                          ¨,,,-^%*¤#
#$^*»..¨,.                                          .,¨..»*^$#