@#@&$=;~..                                          ..~;=$&@#@
##@§¤*^~.¨                                          ¨.~^*¤§@##
###&$§;«^,                                          ,^«;§$&###
###££%^~~¨                                          ¨~~^%££###
###£$^\»:¨                                          ¨:»\^$£###
#&*†«,.¨¨¨                 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, .,~*=§¤@##
##@$\-.,¨.   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   .¨,.-\$@##
£¤*.,.¨¨,. freshly  made, not yet completely dried. .,¨¨.,.*¤£
#@#&£*;-:¨                                          ¨:-;*£&#@#
@@%%=,.¨,, my mom is here now.  i ask her  for some ,,¨.,=%%@@
§§%%\~,.., particle board  for  it  to dry  on, but ,..,~\%%§§
@*;†\~,^¨, she   is  worried   and   wants  me   to ,¨^,~\†;*@
@£§%=....¨              throw it away.              ¨....=%§£@
@#&$*~¨.,,                                          ,,.¨~*$&#@
#¤§&§=\~,,                                          ,,~\=§&§¤#
§§=\†,,.,.                                          .,.,,†\=§§
@@†/.~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~./†@@
#§£†...,,¨                                          ¨,,...†£§#
#@@#£*\»..                                          ..»\*£#@@#