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