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