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