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