@§$§†--¨,¨                                          ¨,¨--†§$§@
¤@$==:..,,                                          ,,..:==$@¤
$§;--,,¨,,                                          ,,¨,,--;§$
@$*^-~.,,.                                          .,,.~-^*$@
#§£=:-~¨,¨                                          ¨,¨~-:=£§#
##&$†\~^¨.                 statuette                .¨^~\†$&##
#@#§*%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%*§#@#
@@¤$%:=-.. %¤*§*%$@%££¤§¤%¤--»»»~=~&%¤££&%§*$£%$%&$ ..-=:%$¤@@
#@¤%;~,,,.                 ¤@$¤$@$§$                .,,,~;%¤@#
£*†=-,¨,,,                                          ,,,¨,-=†*£
$†;~:¨¨.,¨ forests around  my childhood home. thick ¨,.¨¨:~;†$
£¤=*-,,,.. 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 ,,^~\=%¤@#
@@%$:«...¨              throw it away.              ¨...«:$%@@
&§=^=.,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,.=^=§&
§*:~...¨..                                          ..¨...~:*§
§£§\«,.,..                                          ..,.,«\§£§
¶#£%\-^.,,                                          ,,.^-\%£#¶
#@#@$\=,¨.                                          .¨,=\$@#@#
##£&%%^=..                                          ..=^%%&£##