#£*=,,...,                                          ,...,,=*£#
@##@&%*-,¨                                          ¨,-*%&@##@
##@¶¤†;=~¨                                          ¨~=;†¤¶@##
¤^^,¨..,¨,                                          ,¨,..¨,^^¤
&^^~~::.,¨                                          ¨,.::~~^^&
##¶#%*;~^.                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 .,,¨^~=$$@
##£@$%^~,¨ must  have been  laying in the wet dirt, ¨,~^%$@£##
##£#&%*~,. and  i  must've  picked it  up  with  my .,~*%&#£##
£¶#@&$^~^.             other belongings.            .^~^$&@#¶£
##$*%%;-^.                                          .^-;%%*$##
###¤@^:«:. it's a statuette of  a girl laying naked .:«:^@¤###
¶&$%%$:»-. on  her   stomach,  feet  in  the   air, .-»:$%%$&¶
#¤¤@§^\«:¨   roughly seven centimeters long. it's   ¨:«\^§@¤¤#
##@¤£§\»~, freshly made, not yet completely  dried. ,~»\§£¤@##
###&£$=~:.                                          .:~=$£&###
§$=^~.¨.¨, my mom  is here now. i ask her  for some ,¨.¨.~^=$§
#@££&†:«,, particle board  for it  to dry  on,  but ,,«:†&££@#
#@##&%/~:, she   is   worried  and   wants  me   to ,:~/%&##@#
##@&£†/~~.              throw it away.              .~~/†£&@##
###@§§/=^.                                          .^=/§§@###
###£§*/~,,                                          ,,~/*§£###
##@#@*;~~¨                                          ¨~~;*@#@##
#@§%«~,.¨.                                          .¨.,~«%§@#
#@¶£$$*~.,                                          ,.~*$$£¶@#
#@##%%\»,,                                          ,,»\%%##@#