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