¶§£%/=^¨¨.                                          .¨¨^=/%£§¶
§@$=~,,¨..                                          ..¨,,~=$@§
%§†=-¨,.¨.                                          .¨.,¨-=†§%
%*»-,¨,,¨,                                          ,¨,,¨,-»*%
@%=«-.¨,..                                          ..,¨.-«=%@
#$%^-~¨,,.                statuette                 .,,¨~-^%$#
#¤¤§*-,,..                                          ..,,-*§¤¤#
#@@%†==~¨. &£$%$%*%¤$¤§§¤¤%~~»=~~«-&£*¤£%@%*@@£%$$% .¨~==†%@@#
##¶@$%;-,,                 &¤££$%&¤¤                ,,-;%$@¶##
@#§*$:-...                                          ...-:$*§#@
@@§^/~:.,¨ forests around my childhood home.  thick ¨,.:~/^§@@
#%%^»,¨¨.¨ pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ¨.¨¨,»^%%#
¤*:~,.¨¨.¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨.¨¨.,~:*¤
^:=^,,.,.¨ underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ¨.,.,,^=:^
%§\~-,.¨,. is  dark  and  moist, the canopy  having .,¨.,-~\§%
§@*=~,¨¨.¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨.¨¨,~=*@§
#@%*†--,.¨                                          ¨.,--†*%@#
@¶#%*\».., there's a  river passing  by,  from east ,..»\*%#¶@
##@¤£§=»~. to west,  getting broader and deeper and .~»=§£¤@##
#£§%§†~,¨. slower as it  goes. equisetum  grow just .¨,~†§%§£#
¶#&$;~,¨., where  the  pine  hands  start  to   let ,.¨,~;$&#¶
£§$†=~.¨¨. through  light,  horsemint  on the rocky .¨¨.~=†$§£
%^=~,,.,¨,                river bed.                ,¨,.,,~=^%
§=~-,..,,.                                          .,,..,-~=§
£§†«,¨,,.¨                    :                     ¨.,,¨,«†§£
&$§*~:,,.¨                                          ¨.,,:~*§$&
#¤£*†«,,¨. the  riverbanks  reek of magic.  tonight .¨,,«†*£¤#
@¶@£%^»~,, they had been a  swampworld with  sylvan ,,~»^%£@¶@
###¤£†\«^, water, stone  rings  and  floating moss. ,^«\†£¤###
#¶£§%=»,,. you could've  found  me wallowing around .,,»=%§£¶#
¶§%†^=~,., on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ,.,~=^†%§¶
¤%§†»~.¨,¨                  bitten.                 ¨,¨.~»†§%¤
¤%=»,.¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨.,»=%¤
=:=.,..,¨, but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ,¨,..,.=:=
§*†~^,..¨, ground,  in shoulder-high grass, with an ,¨..,^~†*§
£$§/»,.¨.¨ orange  tin  radio  and  a   translucent ¨.¨.,»/§$£
@&@**~-.,¨      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ¨,.-~**@&@
#¶§$^†=:,,                                          ,,:=†^$§¶#
##@#%%*~-.                    *                     .-~*%%#@##
#@#$$*~^¨,                                          ,¨^~*$$#@#
@&$†=~,¨,, somethings  moving in  the  grass.  it's ,,¨,~=†$&@
§$^;«,,,¨¨ invisible  to my  eyes  but  i  can feel ¨¨,,,«;^$§
§^;--¨¨¨,¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨,¨¨¨--;^§
*=-:¨¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨¨:-=*
§%=«,,,.,, the  soil is muddy. i  slip when  trying ,,.,,,«=%§
¤%*/«,.,¨¨ to  get  up,  still   looking   at   the ¨¨,.,«/*%¤
##&^*~.¨.¨ direction of sound  rather  than  at  my ¨.¨.~*^&##
#£§@§*»,¨, hands, who  are busy putting  things  in ,¨,»*§@§£#
##£&£$\=,¨                my pockets.               ¨,=\$£&£##
#@§£*=~,.¨                                          ¨.,~=*£§@#
£¤$%/»^,,¨ then   i   run  east  toward  my   home. ¨,,^»/%$¤£
§%%†=.,,..                                          ..,,.=†%%§
%^*»,,...¨                    †                     ¨...,,»*^%
†;~,¨¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨¨,~;†
@*:-~¨.,¨, i am not followed, and slow down  in the ,¨,.¨~-:*@
§¤†;~,.,,. clearing  where you at  first  can  spot .,,.,~;†¤§
@§£$/--.¨¨ the  house,  not  yet   really  in   the ¨¨.--/$£§@
@#&£=*-,., backyard. from  my pockets i retrieve my ,.,-*=£&#@
##¶£%%;~-, radio (now  dented)  but  also  a  small ,-~;%%£¶##
#£&**;«~¨. clay figure i've  never seen before.  it .¨~«;**&£#
¶§@*\~,¨,¨ must have  been laying in the wet  dirt, ¨,¨,~\*@§¶
@$*:«,,,¨. and i  must've  picked  it  up  with  my .¨,,,«:*$@
$$*-,¨¨¨¨.            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.              ..¨¨¨:~=*%
*^=~¨.,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,.¨~=^*
%%=-~...,.                                          .,...~-=%%
#$†\~,¨,,.                                          .,,¨,~\†$#
#@¤=^~:¨,¨                                          ¨,¨:~^=¤@#
@#&£%:=,¨.                                          .¨,=:%£&#@
##¶££^=»~¨                                          ¨~»=^££¶##