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