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