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