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