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