##@¤&%:~,,                                          ,,~:%&¤@##
@##£$%^»:.                                          .:»^%$£##@
@$§;--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--;§$@
¤§$£$*\=:¨                                          ¨:=\*$£$§¤
#@%%:,,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,,:%%@#
##¶@*$†=,.                statuette                 .,=†$*@¶##
££$§*=.¨¨.                                          .¨¨.=*§$££
###£¤§;~,. $%££%£%£¤¤&*$%$§~~-=~«»«¤£*§¤§&%£@§¤§$&& .,~;§¤£###
##££$*\=^.                 §£@£££%$&                .^=\*$££##
¶#§%~.-..¨                                          ¨..-.~%§#¶
#%*~..,¨., forests around my  childhood home. thick ,.¨,..~*%#
@&¤§:».¨¨. pine  arcades  that  were   planted  and .¨¨.»:§¤&@
###¶£=^«,¨       forgotten. wild boars roaming      ¨,«^=£¶###
¤†*\~¨.¨.. underneath,  sniffing at  the ground. it ..¨.¨~\*†¤
###@&*;~:, is  dark and  moist, the  canopy  having ,:~;*&@###
#¶§&*,,..¨ already   soaked   up   all   the   sun. ¨..,,*&§¶#
#@@£**†«:¨                                          ¨:«†**£@@#
#££@£=:«^, there's  a  river passing by, from  east ,^«:=£@££#
##@#¤*^»^, to west,  getting broader and deeper and ,^»^*¤#@##
#£$*~»¨¨¨, 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 ¨:=:*¤§###
###££$*«:¨              throw it away.              ¨:«*$££###
@¤$**».,,¨                                          ¨,,.»**$¤@
@¤*^,.,...                                          ...,.,^*¤@
#@@¤£^:~,¨                                          ¨,~:^£¤@@#
##£&&=:~.,                                          ,.~:=&&£##
#@@&§=/«^,                                          ,^«/=§&@@#
#¤$/=«^.,,                                          ,,.^«=/$¤#