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