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