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