##££*=~~¨.                                          .¨~~=*££##
##@@£*^»~¨                                          ¨~»^*£@@##
##§%=\-^¨.                                          .¨^-\=%§##
¶@*$=~,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,~=$*@¶
§*=/»-..¨,                                          ,¨..-»/=*§
$$^«^.¨..,                statuette                 ,..¨.^«^$$
†;=^,,¨,¨.                                          .¨,¨,,^=;†
£%†=-¨¨,,. $%§&&@&$%$§£¤&*@~=»-=-»=&$%@¤@$¤&$£$$*$% .,,¨¨-=†%£
&%^\=.¨.,,                 §¤£&&%£¤§                ,,.¨.=\^%&
¶¤$*\»^¨.¨                                          ¨.¨^»\*$¤¶
#@£%=\»... forests  around my childhood home. thick ...»\=%£@#
###&¤†\~~. pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and .~~\†¤&###
#@#§$=--,¨      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.              ,,.~*%¤£@#
¶@$*:=-..¨                                          ¨..-=:*$@¶
§£§:=^.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.^=:§£§
£§†=,.¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨.,=†§£
=†~.,¨..¨¨                                          ¨¨..¨,.~†=
&†^~~¨.¨,.                                          .,¨.¨~~^†&
#$=\«,,.¨,                                          ,¨.,,«\=$#