¶@&¤$^*~,¨                                          ¨,~*^$¤&@¶
@£^~-^,,,¨                                          ¨,,,^-~^£@
@&%;,...,.                                          .,...,;%&@
§%%=^¨¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨¨^=%%§
¶¶@%$*^~:,                                          ,:~^*$%@¶¶
##¶§$%†«:,                statuette                 ,:«†%$§¶##
@#¶&*†=~-.                                          .-~=†*&¶#@
#@#¤¤*;«., %%$$*§§&%$&&£&&¤»=»«»~»-@$¤£$$%&$&$$$$** ,.«;*¤¤#@#
&^^†=*«.¨.                §£&*%&&%@                 .¨.«*=†^^&
#%*;,-,¨.,                                          ,.¨,-,;*%#
#@@#$§*»,¨ forests around my childhood  home. thick ¨,»*§$#@@#
@$:-..¨,,. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and .,,¨..-:$@
@§%;~...,,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,,...~;%§@
@£@&%%^=.. underneath,  sniffing at the  ground. it ..=^%%&@£@
##@#¤%=~., is  dark  and  moist,  the canopy having ,.~=%¤#@##
#¶@&**^»^. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .^»^**&@¶#
@£&$^^-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-^^$&£@
##¶¤%^;«., there's  a river passing  by,  from east ,.«;^%¤¶##
#@@&£$*~.¨ to  west, getting broader and deeper and ¨.~*$£&@@#
#§$»«,,¨¨, slower as  it goes. equisetum  grow just ,¨¨,,«»$§#
@*†=^,.¨,, where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ,,¨.,^=†*@
#@#¤$§;~.. through  light,  horsemint  on the rocky ..~;§$¤#@#
##@#%§=-,¨                river bed.                ¨,-=§%#@##
@@**=*;«,¨                                          ¨,«;*=**@@
@&§%§%:~,,                     †                    ,,~:%§%§&@
###@&=:»..                                          ..»:=&@###
#£#*^/*=:¨ the  riverbanks reek  of magic.  tonight ¨:=*/^*#£#
##£§%=^»,. they had  been a swampworld  with sylvan .,»^=%§£##
#@¶££=^=., water, stone  rings  and floating  moss. ,.=^=££¶@#
¤@*$†-¨.,. you could've found  me wallowing  around .,.¨-†$*@¤
##£&$$:»:¨ 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 ,,~†%£&@##
##@@†$\«~. on  her  stomach,  feet   in  the   air, .~«\$†@@##
#@#@&%:=^.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .^=:%&@#@#
£¤:.,,,,¨, freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ,¨,,,,.:¤£
#@££&%†=..                                          ..=†%&££@#
##*††=¨¨., my mom  is here now. i ask  her for some ,.¨¨=††*##
##¶#§*:~:¨ particle  board  for it to dry  on,  but ¨:~:*§#¶##
@£££%*^»., she  is   worried   and  wants   me   to ,.»^*%£££@
#£&*~^..,.              throw it away.              .,..^~*&£#
@££#$§*«^.                                          .^«*§$#££@
###&*%:«:¨                                          ¨:«:%*&###
@@@@*%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%*@@@@
#@¶@$=\=^¨                                          ¨^=\=$@¶@#
#@#¤%$\»-,                                          ,-»\$%¤#@#
#&@=%=^¨¨,                                          ,¨¨^=%=@&#