§*%†=.¨.,¨                                          ¨,.¨.=†%*§
*†\=-¨,.¨,                                          ,¨.,¨-=\†*
@$§=»..,¨¨                                          ¨¨,..»=§$@
¶£*†:«^,..                                          ..,^«:†*£¶
###£*\~^,,                                          ,,^~\*£###
##£&&%\~,.                 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.              ,,¨,,»/*££
@*/»,,¨.,.                                          .,.¨,,»/*@
@¤%/=~,...                                          ...,~=/%¤@
£&¤=^=,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,=^=¤&£
#£¤$§^=-,,                                          ,,-=^§$¤£#
##¶¤$%=~^,                                          ,^~=%$¤¶##
#@¤$†=~,¨,                                          ,¨,~=†$¤@#