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