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