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