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