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