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