$*/~,¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨,~/*$
%\~,¨,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,¨,~\%
£%*=^¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨^=*%£
£$%=~,..,,                                          ,,..,~=%$£
@£&§:=,¨¨.                                          .¨¨,=:§&£@
#¶¤$†:~,..                 statuette                ..,~:†$¤¶#
##£#*^†=-,                                          ,-=†^*#£##
##§§§*--¨¨ £%*$$£&@@$££%$@£--«»-»--&%&$@%&$$@£%£@%¤ ¨¨--*§§§##
¶&$§^=~,,,                ££&%¤§£££                 ,,,~=^§$&¶
@%$/-:.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.:-/$%@
£$:«,,,,¨, forests around my  childhood home. thick ,¨,,,,«:$£
†\«^,..¨,. 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 .¨,,¨.^~:†
$§*~,..,.¨              throw it away.              ¨.,..,~*§$
£%†*»-¨,¨¨                                          ¨¨,¨-»*†%£
££$%\-^.¨,                                          ,¨.^-\%$££
#¶¤£§*~-.,                                          ,.-~*§£¤¶#
###§¤%:».,                                          ,.»:%¤§###
#@#£*:~.¨.                                          .¨.~:*£#@#
#¤&%\»~,¨.                                          .¨,~»\%&¤#