£&£$^»:¨¨.                                          .¨¨:»^$£&£
&&†\«~.,¨,                                          ,¨,.~«\†&&
#§$*†«~¨¨.                                          .¨¨~«†*$§#
@@@$=/=~..                                          ..~=/=$@@@
#@¶&@%:~~.                                          .~~:%@&¶@#
#¶&@†:=:.¨                 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 ¨,«/=£####
###$*:»~¨, she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ,¨~»:*$###
@¤@$†=..,.              throw it away.              .,..=†$@¤@
£$$;~,¨.¨.                                          .¨.¨,~;$$£
£§@%/=:¨.,                                          ,.¨:=/%@§£
#¶¤@§:~~¨,                                          ,¨~~:§@¤¶#
##£#@§†=^¨                                          ¨^=†§@#£##
#@&£^;=^,¨                                          ¨,^=;^£&@#
#¤$%†«..,,                                          ,,..«†%$¤#