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