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