#@##@%†«:¨                                          ¨:«†%@##@#
@@¤*%=»^¨.                                          .¨^»=%*¤@@
#§§%/~,.,.                                          .,.,~/%§§#
#£§&§/--,,                                          ,,--/§&§£#
##@#$=;-~¨                                          ¨~-;=$#@##
##§$%†«.,¨                 statuette                ¨,.«†%$§##
@§¤*/«.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.«/*¤§@
#@@£§\~.,¨ *§£&$*$$@&&¤%$&&«~»~=~»~§@*¤¤¤%£$$§£$$¤& ¨,.~\§£@@#
#@#&£*:~:¨                &%&£*££@%                 ¨:~:*£&#@#
#@&@†*-,.,                                          ,.,-*†@&@#
#§%^/~,,¨¨ forests around my  childhood home. thick ¨¨,,~/^%§#
@£¤$%†~:¨, pine  arcades  that   were  planted  and ,¨:~†%$¤£@
##@#£%†».,       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ,.»†%£#@##
###$%\-^¨. underneath,  sniffing at the ground.  it .¨^-\%$###
£&£*^»^,,, is  dark  and moist,  the  canopy having ,,,^»^*£&£
#@£$$:=,¨, 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.              ,~~;†£¤¶##
@¶#£=†~.,,                                          ,,.~†=£#¶@
@£$%*«,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,«*%$£@
#¶&@=\«.¨.                                          .¨.«\=@&¶#
##¶@*=;~:.                                          .:~;=*@¶##
@¶@§=^=-¨.                                          .¨-=^=§@¶@
¶£¤%†«,.,,                                          ,,.,«†%¤£¶