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