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