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