##¶§£%==^,                                          ,^==%£§¶##
@&¤*%-.,¨¨                                          ¨¨,.-%*¤&@
##¶&*^*~,.                                          .,~*^*&¶##
###§$§:~,.                                          .,~:§$§###
@%\««,:..,                                          ,..:,««\%@
###&%§^=,.                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 ,,,.¨~=%£#
£#$\~.,,,,            other belongings.             ,,,,.~\$#£
££##*^/=,¨                                          ¨,=/^*##££
##@¤@=\=~¨ it's a statuette of a girl  laying naked ¨~=\=@¤@##
#@@#£§^«~¨ on  her   stomach,  feet  in   the  air, ¨~«^§£#@@#
##%*«¨...¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨...¨«*%##
#@@&¤%;»,. freshly  made, not yet completely dried. .,»;%¤&@@#
#@*§=,,..,                                          ,..,,=§*@#
¶§@£¤*:~-. my mom is here now.  i ask her for  some .-~:*¤£@§¶
#@#¤%†;-^¨ particle board  for  it to  dry  on, but ¨^-;†%¤#@#
£*=,...,.. she   is  worried   and   wants   me  to ..,...,=*£
##¶§%^^-:,              throw it away.              ,:-^^%§¶##
#£%»=~.¨,.                                          .,¨.~=»%£#
@##§$**«,,                                          ,,«**$§##@
##@@&%\--,                                          ,--\%&@@##
#*%\~,.,,¨                                          ¨,,.,~\%*#
@*%~^,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,^~%*@
##§&^^;«,.                                          .,«;^^&§##