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