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