¶££§%:-¨¨.                                          .¨¨-:%§££¶
@#@^=-.,.¨                                          ¨.,.-=^@#@
¶£#¤£^/«:.                                          .:«/^£¤#£¶
##@¤¤†=«-,                                          ,-«=†¤¤@##
###¶¤%%^=.                                          .=^%%¤¶###
@¤%:^-:..¨                 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. ¨¨¨:,,**@£
££%%%~,.,.                                          .,.,~%%%££
#§$:»-¨,¨, my  mom is here now.  i ask her for some ,¨,¨-»:$§#
####$†*=,, particle  board for it  to  dry  on, but ,,=*†$####
#£$*==~:., she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to ,.:~==*$£#
##££$*;--.              throw it away.              .--;*$££##
@^%$^~=,,.                                          .,,=~^$%^@
@@#£¤*:~.¨                                          ¨.~:*¤£#@@
#&\*~¨,,¨.                                          .¨,,¨~*\&#
@#@§£%*«~,                                          ,~«*%£§@#@
##@#$%/»~.                                          .~»/%$#@##
§§†^»-,-,.                                          .,-,-»^†§§