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