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