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