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