^~^¨,¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨,¨^~^
~.,..¨.,¨.                                          .¨,.¨..,.~
^~-..¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨..-~^
*\=,¨,,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,,¨,=\*
%*^=..,¨.,                                          ,.¨,..=^*%
@***-~¨¨,.                 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, ,,.=^§*£@#
¶¤¤$/=,.,.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .,.,=/$¤¤¶
@&$\~,¨¨., freshly  made, not yet completely dried. ,.¨¨,~\$&@
*%^~-.,,,.                                          .,,,.-~^%*
=/=,,..¨¨, my mom is  here now. i  ask her for some ,¨¨..,,=/=
\~.,¨.¨,,. particle board for  it  to  dry on,  but .,,¨.¨,.~\
~^¨¨¨,,.¨. she   is   worried  and   wants   me  to .¨.,,¨¨¨^~
^»^,¨,,,,,              throw it away.              ,,,,,¨,^»^
%*~,,,¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨,,,~*%
%§^«:¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨:«^§%
£§=†»~¨,..                                          ..,¨~»†=§£
#&$§:»:¨.,                                          ,.¨:»:§$&#
@¶&*%*=:.,                                          ,.:=*%*&¶@
###§$^†«..                                          ..«†^$§###