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