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