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