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