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