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