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