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