@%$&*^:~~,                                          ,~~:^*&$%@
&%;,^¨.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.¨^,;%&
¤%-,,¨.,..                                          ..,.¨,,-%¤
##£¤&=*--¨                                          ¨--*=&¤£##
#%;».¨.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.¨.»;%#
###£§%*:,,                 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 ,,:=^^/$#@
@§*/†=:.¨. she  is   worried   and   wants  me   to .¨.:=†/*§@
##@£@^=»..              throw it away.              ..»=^@£@##
@£=«»-»...                                          ...»-»«=£@
#¶¤$^/*«^¨                                          ¨^«*/^$¤¶#
@@&@§*:=~¨                                          ¨~=:*§@&@@
@##£§*=».,                                          ,.»=*§£##@
§&$%*†=»-.                                          .-»=†*%$&§
&#%«~¨,,.¨                                          ¨.,,¨~«%#&