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