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