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