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