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