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