¶£#&%=\«.,                                          ,.«\=%&#£¶
@#££*%\«-¨                                          ¨-«\%*££#@
#@;-,.,.,.                                          .,.,.,-;@#
§#$:~¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨~:$#§
¶$=;-¨.,,.                                          .,,.¨-;=$¶
##@&$*:»..                statuette                 ..»:*$&@##
@@*=~.,,,,                                          ,,,,.~=*@@
#§£§$=†~,. §@*$@£%$££$¤&%£%-«-»~»«=&$£%$$%£%%£@§*£& .,~†=$§£§#
¤*-.¨,¨¨,¨                 $%§&%%&$§                ¨,¨¨,¨.-*¤
##@#%%†«.,                                          ,.«†%%#@##
&$†«~,¨¨,¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨,¨¨,~«†$&
#¶$*%«..,. pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and .,..«%*$¶#
##£#§†\=,.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .,=\†§#£##
##¶¤@$\~,, underneath, sniffing at  the  ground. it ,,~\$@¤¶##
#@@@$$;~,, 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.              .,=:%§#@@#
#£@**:,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,:**@£#
####%*=»^,                                          ,^»=*%####
###£§^†~-¨                                          ¨-~†^§£###
##££§§:-:¨                                          ¨:-:§§££##
##¶#§†*=,,                                          ,,=*†§#¶##
##@#@†^«..                                          ..«^†@#@##