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