@#¤%\«^,,,                                          ,,,^«\%¤#@
###¤£%†=,,                                          ,,=†%£¤###
###¤&*:~-¨                                          ¨-~:*&¤###
#@%$«~-,.¨                                          ¨.,-~«$%@#
###§$=;-,.                                          .,-;=$§###
##@#§^†«,,                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 ¨,¨^,/£$£#
#@#¤£††«-, she  is   worried  and   wants   me   to ,-«††£¤#@#
£§§%«-.:¨,              throw it away.              ,¨:.-«%§§£
#§¤=,,¨,.¨                                          ¨.,¨,,=¤§#
¤$@^~~¨¨.¨                                          ¨.¨¨~~^@$¤
#@£¤%%:~:¨                                          ¨:~:%%¤£@#
###¤£=*~,.                                          .,~*=£¤###
##@&*=\~^¨                                          ¨^~\=*&@##
&§=§†=««,.                                          .,««=†§=§&