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