##¶&$=:»,,                                          ,,»:=$&¶##
#¤=$/^,:,¨                                          ¨,:,^/$=¤#
##¶§¤$†-.¨                                          ¨.-†$¤§¶##
##@#¤£%=:¨                                          ¨:=%£¤#@##
##£†.,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,.†£##
#@#£%$;--,                statuette                 ,--;$%£#@#
£$/=¨¨....                                          ....¨¨=/$£
####@§$»~, @£@$£¤%*§%££¤&*¤»~-»«~»»§$$*£££%¤¤§§@§¤£ ,~»$§@####
#£@$^-^..,                &*%*§%§¤*                 ,..^-^$@£#
¶¤@£&*=-~,                                          ,~-=*&£@¤¶
###£$§==~¨ forests  around my childhood home. thick ¨~==§$£###
#@£@*†/-:¨ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¨:-/†*@£@#
¶@£^«,,,,,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,,,,,«^£@¶
¶£#§@†^»:¨ underneath, sniffing  at the ground.  it ¨:»^†@§#£¶
#@£*/^,¨¨. is  dark  and moist,  the canopy  having .¨¨,^/*£@#
###§¤$^«,. already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. .,«^$¤§###
#£§&%$^-,,                                          ,,-^$%&§£#
##¶£%%=»~, there's  a river passing  by,  from east ,~»=%%£¶##
@&£=;=¨.,¨ to  west, getting broader and deeper and ¨,.¨=;=£&@
#^=*-,¨,¨¨ slower  as it goes.  equisetum grow just ¨¨,¨,-*=^#
###§&$;~.¨ where  the  pine  hands  start   to  let ¨.~;$&§###
§¤&%*%\~.. through  light, horsemint  on  the rocky ..~\%*%&¤§
@$†~.,.,¨.                river bed.                .¨,.,.~†$@
@¤==,,,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,,,==¤@
####%$=»,.                     /                    .,»=$%####
###££%*~,¨                                          ¨,~*%££###
#@#£*$:~:. the riverbanks reek  of  magic.  tonight .:~:$*£#@#
##@@£^/~~¨ they  had been  a swampworld with sylvan ¨~~/^£@@##
###@&^†-^. water,  stone rings  and floating  moss. .^-†^&@###
###@&§/~~. you could've found me  wallowing  around .~~/§&@###
#@#¤£†=~-¨ on  the  southern  shores  until  i  got ¨-~=†£¤#@#
@#&*~....¨                  bitten.                 ¨....~*&#@
###@#%§~.,                                          ,.~§%#@###
&$$==¨,.¨¨ 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 ,,~=%¤@###
£$*%†*†~,.              throw it away.              .,~†*†%*$£
#@#@£^\-:¨                                          ¨:-\^£@#@#
@§%^».,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,.»^%§@
##@@&%*:~~                                          ~~:*%&@@##
###&£††«-,                                          ,-«††£&###
###¶££=^:¨                                          ¨:^=££¶###
#$=/:~~¨,¨                                          ¨,¨~~:/=$#