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