@#%**=~.¨.                                          .¨.~=**%#@
@&$*†«~.,.                                          .,.~«†*$&@
##£§$§/=-¨                                          ¨-=/§$§£##
¶$*:,¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨,:*$¶
£¤†;/^:,,¨                                          ¨,,:^/;†¤£
##@§&*†«:,                 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 ,,.,.»$$££
£@#£%*:-,¨ particle board for it  to  dry  on,  but ¨,-:*%£#@£
###£¤£=^~~ she   is  worried   and  wants   me   to ~~^=£¤£###
####££†»:¨              throw it away.              ¨:»†££####
#@#£$^\«,.                                          .,«\^$£#@#
##£§&%^».,                                          ,.»^%&§£##
##@@$%†~:,                                          ,:~†%$@@##
@¤&%;*~,..                                          ..,~*;%&¤@
¤†~¨.....¨                                          ¨.....¨~†¤
##@&$$^~~.                                          .~~^$$&@##