#$%*-~¨.,.                                          .,.¨~-*%$#
¤=^-..¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨..-^=¤
%†~~,¨,,,.                                          .,,,¨,~~†%
$^:-^,¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨,^-:^$
£§§:»,¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨,»:§§£
@¶&$*~,¨.¨                statuette                 ¨.¨,~*$&¶@
###£%/«,,¨                                          ¨,,«/%£###
###@&%;-.¨ £££¤&$&$§%&$£%£@=~-»»»~=$£&£$$£*@%%%*££& ¨.-;%&@###
##@@§;~-.,                £@&%&%*%£                 ,.-~;§@@##
@#@=:«,.,.                                          .,.,«:=@#@
@£^\-,¨,., forests around  my childhood home. thick ,.,¨,-\^£@
@%^~.,,¨,. pine  arcades   that  were  planted  and .,¨,,.~^%@
†^-.¨¨,,¨¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨¨,,¨¨.-^†
£†:~,,¨.¨¨ underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it ¨¨.¨,,~:†£
#%$/~,.,¨. is dark  and  moist, the  canopy  having .¨,.,~/$%#
@¶§*\-:.¨. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .¨.:-\*§¶@
##£§†\-^,,                                          ,,^-\†§£##
###@*§^~,, there's  a  river passing by, from  east ,,~^§*@###
##£%^\-,,. to west, getting  broader and deeper and .,,-\^%£##
@#¤=/»^... slower  as it  goes. equisetum grow just ...^»/=¤#@
£*†=«-.¨,¨ where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ¨,¨.-«=†*£
¤†^»:¨..¨¨ through  light, horsemint on  the  rocky ¨¨..¨:»^†¤
*\~^,.,¨¨.                river bed.                .¨¨,.,^~\*
£*=-~..,.,                                          ,.,..~-=*£
@%%=«.¨¨,.                    =                     .,¨¨.«=%%@
#¶$^;~,..,                                          ,..,~;^$¶#
##¶@%^~:., the riverbanks  reek  of  magic. tonight ,.:~^%@¶##
###£@%:«^. they had  been a swampworld  with sylvan .^«:%@£###
##@$^^~^,¨ water,  stone rings and  floating  moss. ¨,^~^^$@##
#@$%^=,¨¨, you  could've found me wallowing  around ,¨¨,=^%$@#
#§^^=.¨,¨¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨¨,¨.=^^§#
¤%*«.,¨,¨.                 bitten.                  .¨,¨,.«*%¤
$\~^,¨¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨¨,^~\$
%=^-~.¨¨.¨ but  now  i'm  further  back,  on  solid ¨.¨¨.~-^=%
£$$:~,¨.¨¨ 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.              .¨.¨,¨,»=†
§^=~~¨¨,..                                          ..,¨¨~~=^§
£$$\«:¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨:«\$$£
@¶¤*\~^,.¨                                          ¨.,^~\*¤¶@
#@@§^\»-¨,                                          ,¨-»\^§@@#
###¶$=:»:¨                                          ¨:»:=$¶###
##@%$/~-,,                                          ,,-~/$%@##