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