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