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