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