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