§%^†»,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,»†^%§
£*;»...,,.                                          .,,...»;*£
*:»:,,..¨,                                          ,¨..,,:»:*
*--¨,¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨,¨--*
*:»,¨¨¨..,                                          ,..¨¨¨,»:*
&%;-~..,,¨                 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 ,.,-^*$@£#
@§%%^=^¨¨¨ she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ¨¨¨^=^%%§@
&£^/--¨,¨.              throw it away.              .¨,¨--/^£&
§*/~^..¨.¨                                          ¨.¨..^~/*§
=;~~¨,,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,,¨~~;=
;«-..¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨..-«;
%/«,..¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨..,«/%
£†\»,.,,,.                                          .,,,.,»\†£
#$%:=:.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.:=:%$#