@£**~:,..,                                          ,..,:~**£@
%=*~,¨..,.                                          .,..¨,~*=%
@%**«-¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨-«**%@
#&§=*«.¨.¨                                          ¨.¨.«*=§&#
#@&£*\-~,,                                          ,,~-\*£&@#
###¤$=:»^.                 statuette                .^»:=$¤###
##&%*:~:.,                                          ,.:~:*%&##
@¤¤†;~-,¨¨ %¤@§$%@£&£§%£$@$==~~»«~»%£§%£$&&¤£$@*%§§ ¨¨,-~;†¤¤@
#$*;~:,.¨,                 $£$¤¤%¤¤%                ,¨.,:~;*$#
£%^«-..¨..                                          ..¨..-«^%£
§&†\»,..¨. forests around  my childhood home. thick .¨..,»\†&§
@&$^=-~¨,¨ 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.              ¨.,.~~:§&§
£†^«-.,.,.                                          .,.,.-«^†£
&£^/-~.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.~-/^£&
##&§*~,.,¨                                          ¨,.,~*§&##
##&¤§\~.,.                                          .,.~\§¤&##
###§&†;~^¨                                          ¨^~;†&§###
#@§$*;~-.¨                                          ¨.-~;*$§@#