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