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