##£&§§=«.,                                          ,.«=§§&£##
£&==*-¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨-*==&£
#£†~.,..,,                                          ,,..,.~†£#
@@@@%%†=:¨                                          ¨:=†%%@@@@
##@#$%=~~,                                          ,~~=%$#@##
##@#%†/=.,                 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 ¨:=*†$#¶##
&=*~¨.,¨,¨ particle  board  for  it to  dry on, but ¨,¨,.¨~*=&
§#^††:^,¨, she  is  worried   and   wants   me   to ,¨,^:††^#§
##@£*=†~-.              throw it away.              .-~†=*£@##
#@¶¤%§^»^.                                          .^»^§%¤¶@#
@#$:,-,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,-,:$#@
#££@$%^»,¨                                          ¨,»^%$@££#
###@@*:=,,                                          ,,=:*@@###
#@#@§%†~~,                                          ,~~†%§@#@#
@#@\:¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨:\@#@