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