##@§%§/«^¨                                          ¨^«/§%§@##
##@&§††«:,                                          ,:«††§&@##
£¤†-»¨¨,.,                                          ,.,¨¨»-†¤£
@#%;~«¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨«~;%#@
§§¤::.¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨.::¤§§
#$=†,.,...                 statuette                ...,.,†=$#
¤#†^-:¨,.,                                          ,.,¨:-^†#¤
###&$%†-,, $%*$%&££%@*§£%&%~~«-»=«~£$%%%$§%§&%§£¤*% ,,-†%$&###
#@£§&=^»,.                 &$£%$%££*                .,»^=&§£@#
##@#¤†*~-.                                          .-~*†¤#@##
##@#%*==~, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,~==*%#@##
###@@&*=,, pine  arcades  that  were  planted   and ,,=*&@@###
¶£\;=»¨¨.,      forgotten. wild boars roaming       ,.¨¨»=;\£¶
##@¤%§:~^¨ underneath, sniffing  at  the ground. it ¨^~:§%¤@##
##¶&*$=~,¨ 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.              .,¨.,.,=%¤
@#@£&%:-,,                                          ,,-:%&£@#@
@§*\-¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨-\*§@
¶#¤%\=.,.,                                          ,.,.=\%¤#¶
####@*/=-.                                          .-=/*@####
#@@¤@%;~^,                                          ,^~;%@¤@@#
¤*%~.~¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨~.~%*¤