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