¤@^\=^¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨^=\^@¤
¤%*-,.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.,-*%¤
††=:.,.,..                                          ..,.,.:=††
£%*=:..,.,                                          ,.,..:=*%£
#&%†~,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,~†%&#
#@%$;=~¨¨¨                statuette                 ¨¨¨~=;$%@#
##@§%\~-..                                          ..-~\%§@##
##£&$$^»,, &££$¤$$%££§@%@@£-»=»«=~=$%£@$£*$*%$%£$&& ,,»^$$&£##
#@&$%\=..,                ¤@@$£%&@$                 ,..=\%$&@#
@£&**~:.¨.                                          .¨.:~**&£@
#%*/»,..¨, forests  around my childhood home. thick ,¨..,»/*%#
§†/~^¨¨.,, pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ,,.¨¨^~/†§
$*~..,..,,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,,..,..~*$
**^~~.¨¨,¨ underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it ¨,¨¨.~~^**
£@%;~,.,,¨ is dark and  moist,  the  canopy  having ¨,,.,~;%@£
#¤§†\=,¨¨¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨¨¨,=\†§¤#
#¶£§*:»-¨.                                          .¨-»:*§£¶#
###§£%*«:, there's a river  passing  by,  from east ,:«*%£§###
###**/=^¨¨ to  west, getting broader and deeper and ¨¨^=/**###
##&=:=:,¨. slower  as  it goes. equisetum grow just .¨,:=:=&##
#¤*:-^¨.¨. where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let .¨.¨^-:*¤#
&†*~.,,,¨. through  light,  horsemint on  the rocky .¨,,,.~*†&
*=-,..¨...                river bed.                ...¨..,-=*
§=^~~...¨¨                                          ¨¨...~~^=§
¤$§;~,¨¨¨.                     ^                    .¨¨¨,~;§$¤
#¤*=†-,¨,,                                          ,,¨,-†=*¤#
#£&%%\«^.¨ the riverbanks  reek  of magic.  tonight ¨.^«\%%&£#
##@#¤§==:, they had been a swampworld  with  sylvan ,:==§¤#@##
#¶££§^=^¨¨ water, stone  rings  and  floating moss. ¨¨^=^§££¶#
#&§§;«...¨ you could've  found me wallowing  around ¨...«;§§&#
#¤$;«,,,.. on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ..,,,«;$¤#
%$=~-.¨¨..                 bitten.                  ..¨¨.-~=$%
=^=-.,,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,,.-=^=
§†\=-.,¨¨¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨¨¨,.-=\†§
£§§†~~,,.. ground,  in shoulder-high grass, with an ..,,~~†§§£
#§$=;»^,,. orange  tin  radio  and  a   translucent .,,^»;=$§#
##&¤**»^¨,      umbrella which i'm sitting on.      ,¨^»**¤&##
####%=/=:¨                                          ¨:=/=%####
#¶#$$/=,¨¨                     /                    ¨¨,=/$$#¶#
¶¤$$:-,¨..                                          ..¨,-:$$¤¶
¤§$;~...,¨ somethings moving  in  the  grass.  it's ¨,...~;$§¤
§$/-,,,¨.. invisible  to my  eyes but  i  can  feel ..¨,,,-/$§
^=--.¨.,.¨ through the ground just how large it is. ¨.,.¨.--=^
@**»,.¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨.,»**@
#§$:-~.,,, the soil  is  muddy. i slip  when trying ,,,.~-:$§#
#£&=†~:¨,. to  get   up,  still   looking   at  the .,¨:~†=&£#
#££&†:=,,. direction  of  sound  rather than at  my .,,=:†&££#
##@§§*;»:¨ hands,  who are busy  putting  things in ¨:»;*§§@##
#@£%§^-.¨,               my pockets.                ,¨.-^§%£@#
##%**«,,,.                                          .,,,«**%##
£¤%†~.¨.,, then   i   run  east   toward  my  home. ,,.¨.~†%¤£
£**~...¨¨.                                          .¨¨...~**£
**«,¨,,,..                     \                    ..,,,¨,«**
@^*~.,...,                                          ,...,.~*^@
&$*=-,¨.,, i am not  followed, and slow down in the ,,.¨,-=*$&
@@@$*»~.,¨ clearing  where  you at  first  can spot ¨,.~»*$@@@
#@£¤*=«~¨. the   house,   not  yet  really  in  the .¨~«=*¤£@#
###&$$\=^. 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.              .,,¨,,^~==
&=/~,,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,,~/=&
¤@%:=,..,.                                          .,..,=:%@¤
##§%=«^..¨                                          ¨..^«=%§##
#@§$†=~^,.                                          .,^~=†$§@#
##@£@††»-,                                          ,-»††@£@##
#@#@**-,.¨                                          ¨.,-**@#@#