#@@¤@^*«,.                                          .,«*^@¤@@#
#@@#$%^«..                                          ..«^%$#@@#
#¤&§%%:~:.                                          .:~:%%§&¤#
##£§£=/~:,                                          ,:~/=£§£##
##¶£$%^»:.                                          .:»^%$£¶##
#£@$=-«-,.                 statuette                .,-«-=$@£#
###§%§:«^¨                                          ¨^«:§%§###
##£@¤=\-~. *$$¤@£%$@@¤%££$$»»~~««=~%%$§£&%§%£$*§$%@ .~-\=¤@£##
@#*@%§*«,,                 $&¤&$%§$%                ,,«*§%@*#@
@@@£&†/-.,                                          ,.-/†&£@@@
§@=-..¨.¨. forests  around my childhood home. thick .¨.¨..-=@§
#¶¤*=--..¨ pine   arcades  that  were  planted  and ¨..--=*¤¶#
###§£*;»^.      forgotten. wild boars roaming       .^»;*£§###
##@¤$%/~-, 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.              ,,.¨.=†=†£
@#§\=,.,¨,                                          ,¨,.,=\§#@
@§¤*§^\-~¨                                          ¨~-\^§*¤§@
@¤*\;,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,;\*¤@
£*†»¨..,..                                          ..,..¨»†*£
#¶@%&*=~,.                                          .,~=*&%@¶#
#¤^~«¨¨.¨¨                                          ¨¨.¨¨«~^¤#