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