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