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