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