%^†-,¨,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,¨,-†^%
¤$*;-,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,-;*$¤
£¤§$^=:¨,¨                                          ¨,¨:=^$§¤£
@£@¤^^»,,.                                          .,,»^^¤@£@
###@¤%\«,.                                          .,«\%¤@###
#£§$%†-,,.                 statuette                .,,-†%$§£#
£§%^/~.,.¨                                          ¨.,.~/^%§£
#%*=--¨.¨¨ §§%@§@@&£§§%££*&--~-~~~«@*£$*§**$$$@$@£% ¨¨.¨--=*%#
$%=»~¨¨,..                &£*£*@*§£                 ..,¨¨~»=%$
%*»~¨,...,                                          ,...,¨~»*%
§*^~,.¨,., forests around  my childhood home. thick ,.,¨.,~^*§
#§$;-~¨.,, pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ,,.¨~-;$§#
#@$%\~.,.¨      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ¨.,.~\%$@#
##&*^\».¨. underneath,  sniffing  at the ground. it .¨.»\^*&##
###§£*†~,¨ is dark  and  moist,  the  canopy having ¨,~†*£§###
@££*§†~^., already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ,.^~†§*££@
¶¤§§\=.¨..                                          ..¨.=\§§¤¶
§%*\~.,,,, there's  a  river passing  by, from east ,,,,.~\*%§
@$;~^,..¨. to west, getting broader  and deeper and .¨..,^~;$@
§*-,.,.,,, slower  as  it goes. equisetum grow just ,,,.,.,-*§
&*\-^...,, where  the   pine  hands  start  to  let ,,...^-\*&
£@%:~-.,.¨ through light,  horsemint  on the  rocky ¨.,.-~:%@£
@§£†;«~,,.                river bed.                .,,~«;†£§@
#@§¤†*«:,.                                          .,:«*†¤§@#
###@&$:-^¨                    ^                     ¨^-:$&@###
#¶§*%=«-..                                          ..-«=%*§¶#
@§$$*~.,,¨ 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 ,,...~:$$£
@££%^~~..,              throw it away.              ,..~~^%££@
##¤§§*-~.¨                                          ¨.~-*§§¤##
#@£§%%:-:.                                          .:-:%%§£@#
##&§*†=...                                          ...=†*§&##
@&$$^«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«^$$&@
#&%*»:,,.¨                                          ¨.,,:»*%&#
$†*-.,..,.                                          .,..,.-*†$