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