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