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