£%==.,.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.,.==%£
*=~,,..,¨.                                          .¨,..,,~=*
/=-¨,¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨,¨-=/
$†-:.,¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨,.:-†$
&*:~,.¨...                                          ...¨.,~:*&
§&%*=-¨.¨,                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.              .¨,.¨,«;§¤
*^=~.¨¨.,,                                          ,,.¨¨.~=^*
/=,¨..¨,,,                                          ,,,¨..¨,=/
*^=.¨,..¨.                                          .¨..,¨.=^*
$%/«..¨,,,                                          ,,,¨..«/%$
#£%^=^,,¨,                                          ,¨,,^=^%£#
#¤£*†~~¨..                                          ..¨~~†*£¤#