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