¤%*=~,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,~=*%¤
$^;-,¨,¨.,                                          ,.¨,¨,-;^$
^;-^.,¨..,                                          ,..¨,.^-;^
=~,¨..,,,¨                                          ¨,,,..¨,~=
%†-.,,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,,.-†%
$*\~,.¨¨..                 statuette                ..¨¨.,~\*$
£&$†=,.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.,=†$&£
¶&&*=~-¨,¨ $$%&$¤&%$&&*%&%*»~»~=~»~%&@@§§@%$£¤$%$£$ ¨,¨-~=*&&¶
#£&%§=»-..                §*££$¤*§&                 ..-»=§%&£#
##£&&%*-,¨                                          ¨,-*%&&£##
@#§£=:~:.. forests around my childhood  home. thick ..:~:=£§#@
£@%$==,..¨ 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.              .¨¨¨^~^*@£
%$^-:.¨,,.                                          .,,¨.:-^$%
=/~,¨,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,¨,~/=
:»:,¨,,..,                                          ,..,,¨,:»:
††=^.,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,.^=††
%%\~^¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨^~\%%
¤£†/~,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,~/†£¤