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