@¤§†/~~¨¨,                                          ,¨¨~~/†§¤@
¤§†^~~¨...                                          ...¨~~^†§¤
#&£=\»,¨.,                                          ,.¨,»\=£&#
#¶§@*;«^..                                          ..^«;*@§¶#
#@@£$^/«..                                          ..«/^$£@@#
#¶£$†;«,¨,                statuette                 ,¨,«;†$£¶#
#&&^\~,...                                          ...,~\^&&#
#&=:~~.,,, %£&£§%*£%%¤%£§&¤»~~~«»--¤$*%$¤&&%£&%@£@£ ,,,.~~:=&#
#£§%:~^¨¨,                £*$*£$£££                 ,¨¨^~:%§£#
@@§*==«-..                                          ..-«==*§@@
##@#&%=«:. 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 ¨,.-†§£###
@§$**~,,,,              throw it away.              ,,,,~**$§@
£*§†~,....                                          ....,~†§*£
#£$%†=..¨,                                          ,¨..=†%$£#
@##@^†«~,.                                          .,~«†^@##@
##@@*%/«.,                                          ,.«/%*@@##
#@¤$^=~^¨,                                          ,¨^~=^$¤@#
@@§%/«~.,,                                          ,,.~«/%§@@