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