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