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