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