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