£@%*\»,¨,,                                          ,,¨,»\*%@£
¤$†;~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~;†$¤
¤^=~..¨.,,                                          ,,.¨..~=^¤
#%$†~-..¨.                                          .¨..-~†$%#
¶&$=;».¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.»;=$&¶
#£#$*/~-.¨                 statuette                ¨.-~/*$#£#
###¤@%:»-¨                                          ¨-»:%@¤###
##&*%^~,¨, *%*$¤**%$£$$%$$%-~~=~~«-&£¤*@@%£@$¤%§§%@ ,¨,~^%*&##
#§£^^-~¨,.                %%§$$@$¤*                 .,¨~-^^£§#
#£††~,.,.,                                          ,.,.,~††£#
@*;~-.,.,¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨,.,.-~;*@
§§=*-^,¨¨. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and .¨¨,^-*=§§
#£$%:-:.¨,      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.              ,,,,-;=*§@
&§*^~-¨,¨,                                          ,¨,¨-~^*§&
%$/«,.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.,«/$%
@*%;~~..¨¨                                          ¨¨..~~;%*@
@§$%^«,.,¨                                          ¨,.,«^%$§@
##§%^†».,.                                          .,.»†^%§##
##@&$*;-,¨                                          ¨,-;*$&@##