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