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