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