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