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