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