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