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