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