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