@#&%:--.¨¨                                          ¨¨.--:%&#@
§%$\-:¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨:-\$%§
##%=^»~¨¨.                                          .¨¨~»^=%##
#@¤¤††~:,¨                                          ¨,:~††¤¤@#
##@&£§\«-.                                          .-«\§£&@##
#@&%†;«^,,                 statuette                ,,^«;†%&@#
#§%=:~^,.¨                                          ¨.,^~:=%§#
@£*^»:¨¨¨. %£&$§&%&$@£££§£&--==»~««$£%%¤@¤¤£$$&$%$£ .¨¨¨:»^*£@
#£$*/»~¨,¨                 $§@¤¤%$@@                ¨,¨~»/*$£#
##@%†/~~.,                                          ,.~~/†%@##
###&%§/=~, forests around  my childhood home. thick ,~=/§%&###
##¤&§\«-,, pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and ,,-«\§&¤##
#&£§:=,¨¨.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .¨¨,=:§£&#
#£**=^.,.¨ underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ¨.,.^=**£#
#£§^=~,,.¨ is dark  and moist,  the  canopy  having ¨.,,~=^§£#
#@&§§;».¨¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨¨.»;§§&@#
###@$*^~-.                                          .-~^*$@###
##@%^/«.¨¨ there's  a  river passing  by, from east ¨¨.«/^%@##
@¤¤=;-,,,¨ to west, getting broader and deeper  and ¨,,,-;=¤¤@
@¤†:«,..., slower as  it goes. equisetum  grow just ,...,«:†¤@
@§%^==-.¨¨ where  the  pine  hands   start  to  let ¨¨.-==^%§@
#@¤£%*«:.¨ through light, horsemint  on  the  rocky ¨.:«*%£¤@#
###&&%^«,.                river bed.                .,«^%&&###
#@#£=;=~,.                                          .,~=;=£#@#
#£&$†-^,¨,                     ^                    ,¨,^-†$&£#
#£§^=~.,.,                                          ,.,.~=^§£#
##¤^^~^¨., the  riverbanks reek  of magic.  tonight ,.¨^~^^¤##
##&$^\«^., they had been  a  swampworld with sylvan ,.^«\^$&##
###&$**«-¨ water,  stone  rings and floating  moss. ¨-«**$&###
#@#$$=«,,, 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.              ¨.,.~^%¤£@
§$*^=....,                                          ,....=^*$§
@#¤%\~,,,,                                          ,,,,~\%¤#@
##&£=*~~,¨                                          ¨,~~*=£&##
###&*%=~,¨                                          ¨,~=%*&###
#@#$$^«^¨.                                          .¨^«^$$#@#
#@§^\«~..¨                                          ¨..~«\^§@#