#¤@%;~.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.~;%@¤#
#%$=-,..,,                                          ,,..,-=$%#
$†;=~,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,~=;†$
&$*:=:,¨¨,                                          ,¨¨,:=:*$&
##@=*«-,.¨                                          ¨.,-«*=@##
##@$*/~-,.                 statuette                .,-~/*$@##
####£**~~,                                          ,~~**£####
##@@%\=,,. ¤$£&%$§¤@§¤££%*@==-»~~~»%@¤£@£*&$£*%%*§$ .,,=\%@@##
@¤£§^=..,.                 &$%*%$£££                .,..=^§£¤@
§¤$:»,....                                          ....,»:$¤§
$=:».,¨.¨, forests around my childhood  home. thick ,¨.¨,.»:=$
¤%*†--,¨.¨ 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 ,..¨--†%$£
%%*-,...¨. radio  (now dented)  but  also  a  small .¨...,-*%%
#%§†-:¨,,. clay figure i've never  seen before.  it .,,¨:-†§%#
@@£**«,... must have  been laying in  the wet dirt, ...,«**£@@
#@&%^=~-,. and  i  must've  picked  it  up  with my .,-~=^%&@#
###@*^†«,,             other belongings.            ,,«†^*@###
##@$%;».¨,                                          ,¨.»;%$@##
#§¤%*~-.¨¨ it's a  statuette of a girl laying naked ¨¨.-~*%¤§#
§*=†~:¨¨.¨ on   her   stomach,  feet  in  the  air, ¨.¨¨:~†=*§
%*/»,,¨,.,   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ,.,¨,,»/*%
&&%;~:,¨.¨ freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ¨.¨,:~;%&&
@@¤%;-:,.,                                          ,.,:-;%¤@@
##££%^~,,¨ my mom is  here  now. i ask her for some ¨,,~^%££##
###&*%^~~¨ particle  board for  it to  dry on,  but ¨~~^%*&###
#@&%§\~.,, she   is   worried   and  wants   me  to ,,.~\§%&@#
#&£*\=~¨,¨              throw it away.              ¨,¨~=\*£&#
#%§==...¨¨                                          ¨¨...==§%#
*$\~~,,.,,                                          ,,.,,~~\$*
§%§†»^¨¨,,                                          ,,¨¨^»†§%§
@&$^^~.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.~^^$&@
#@#%*/~:.¨                                          ¨.:~/*%#@#
##@§£%:«^¨                                          ¨^«:%£§@##