¶&*§»,.¨,,                                          ,,¨.,»§*&¶
&£%~-.,.¨.                                          .¨.,.-~%£&
$$-..¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨..-$$
§*^=,.,.¨.                                          .¨.,.,=^*§
¶@£%-,,,.,                                          ,.,,,-%£@¶
#@&¤=~^.¨¨                 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.              ....¨¨^~%§
#$§«.¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨.«§$#
@#£=~-¨,.,                                          ,.,¨-~=£#@
##§¤=~-,¨,                                          ,¨,-~=¤§##
##@@£==^,,                                          ,,^==£@@##
##@@£$==-¨                                          ¨-==$£@@##
##¶§%=~-,.                                          .,-~=%§¶##