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